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

This federal Project Grant award, 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), will enable Nuevo Sendero, Inc., a woman-owned, Hispanic American-owned non-profit organization in Orlando, Florida, to implement a $475,000 project over a 3-year period from October 2024 to September 2027. The project aims to enhance culturally specific services and resources for Hispanic victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in the Central Florida region. Key activities include crisis intervention, a survivors' empowerment group, case management and referrals, art healing for children, and provision of legal services. The grant supports Nuevo Sendero's efforts to increase community capacity, develop culturally relevant prevention strategies, and provide specialized programming for children exposed to 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 continuation culturally specific services program project, nuevo sendero, INC. 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 5 working in cooperation with the community to develop education and prevent strategies highlighting culturally specific issues and resources; and purpose area 6 providing culturally specific programs for children exposed to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking for hispanic victims and survivors in central florida. The project will address priority area 2: strengthen efforts to prevent and end sexual assault. Specific activities will include: 1) crisis intervention; 2) a survivors empowerment group; 3) case management and referrals; 4) art healing for children; and 5) legal services.