The grants to enhance culturally specific services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking program is authorized by 34 U.S.C. 20124

The federal Project Grant award of $400,000 was provided by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women under the Culturally and Linguistically Specific Services Program (CFDA 16.016). The grant will be used by the non-profit organization Awaaz to implement a 3-year project addressing several key purpose areas, including: 1) increasing the community's capacity to provide culturally specific resources and support for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; 2) enhancing traditional victim services through the leadership of culturally specific programs; and 3) developing culturally tailored education and prevention strategies for South Asian domestic violence survivors in South Texas. The project will involve providing transitional housing, job training, outreach/education programs, and digital campaigns to serve this target population.

This program supports the maintenance and replication of existing successful community-based programs providing culturally specific services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, as well as the development of innovative culturally specific strategies to enhance access to services and resources for victims who face obstacles to using more traditional programs. Culturally specific services means community-based services that include culturally relevant and linguistically specific services and resources to culturally specific communities which are statutorily defined as american indians (including alaska natives, eskimos, and aleuts); asian americans; native hawaiians and other pacific islanders; blacks; and hispanics. Projects must address at least one of the programs statutory purpose areas. Through this new culturally specific services program project, awaaz will implement a project addressing the following purpose areas: purpose area 2 - increasing communities capacity to provide culturally specific resources and support for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking crimes and their families; purpose area 4 - enhancing traditional services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking through the leadership of culturally specific programs offering services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; and purpose area 5 - working in cooperation with the community to develop education and prevention strategies highlighting culturally specific issues and resources regarding victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking for south asian domestic violence survivors in south texas. Specific activities will include: 1) transitional housing; 2) job training; 3) outreach and education programs; and 4) digital campaigns.