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 U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women awarded a $475,000 Project Grant under the Culturally and Linguistically Specific Services Program (CFDA 16.016) to S.M.A.R.T. (Survivors Making Achievements, Rebuilding, and Thriving) Bus, a minority-owned and woman-owned non-profit organization based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The grant will fund a 3-year project from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2027 to provide culturally specific services for African American victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in Wake County, North Carolina. Key services to be delivered include case management, workplace support, housing assistance, economic empowerment, and implementation of the "See Me" curriculum for teens.

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, S.M.A.R.T. (survivors making achievements, rebuilding, and thriving) bus will implement a project addressing the following purpose areas: purpose area 1 working with state and local governments and social service agencies to develop and enhance effective strategies to provide culturally specific services to victims; purpose area 4 enhancing traditional services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking through the leadership of culturally specific programs; and purpose area 6 providing culturally specific programs for children exposed to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking for african americans in wake county, north carolina. The project will address priority area 2: strengthen efforts to prevent and end sexual assault. Specific activities will include: 1) case management; 2) workplace support; 3) housing assistance; 4) economic empowerment; and 5) the see me curriculum for teens.