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 Hive Community Circle, a minority-owned non-profit organization in Columbia, South Carolina, was awarded a $400,000 three-year Project Grant by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women under the Grants to Enhance Culturally Specific Services for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program (CFDA 16.016). The grant, which runs from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2027, will support the organization's efforts to provide comprehensive, culturally specific services to Black and Latino survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in Richland County, South Carolina. Key service deliverables include prevention programming, peer advocacy, emergency assistance, crisis management, economic support, and holistic wrap-around services. The project aims to enhance traditional victim services, develop community-based education and prevention strategies, and provide culturally specific programs for children exposed to these forms of violence.

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, the hive community circle will implement a project addressing multiple purpose areas including : 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; 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; and purpose area 6 - providing culturally specific programs for children exposed to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking for black and latino survivors in richland county, south carolina. Specific activities will include: 1) prevention programming; 2) peer advocacy;3) emergency assistance; 4) crisis managementand economic support; and 5) holistic wrap-around services.