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 Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women has awarded a $400,000 Culturally and Linguistically Specific Services Program (CFDA 16.016) grant to Garden of Hope, Inc., a minority-owned non-profit organization in Flushing, New York. The three-year grant, effective from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2027, will support the organization's efforts to provide culturally relevant and linguistically specific services to Chinese immigrant victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Key activities to be funded include outreach and awareness campaigns, trauma-informed counseling and advocacy services, legal assistance for survivors, and on-site services at Family Justice Centers. The grant aims to enhance traditional victim services through the leadership of culturally specific programs serving the Chinese community in New York City.

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, garden of hope 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 of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; 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; and 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 for chinese survivors in new york city. Specific activities will include: 1) outreach and awareness campaigns; 2) trauma-informed counseling and advocacy services; 3) legal assistance for survivors; and 4) onsite services at family justice centers.