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 Project Grant award of $450,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women under the Culturally and Linguistically Specific Services Program (CFDA 16.016) will support Alternatives For Girls, a non-profit organization in Detroit, Michigan, in providing culturally relevant services to Black/African American victims and survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The project will address economic justice priorities through activities such as support services and advocacy, culturally relevant counseling, housing assistance, safety planning, employment coaching, educational support, vocational skills training, and financial education. This three-year award, effective from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2027, aims to maintain and replicate existing successful community-based programs, as well as develop innovative strategies to enhance access to services for underserved populations facing obstacles to traditional support systems.

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, alternatives for girls will implement a project addressing the following purpose area: purpose area 7 - providing culturally specific resources and services that address the safety, economic, housing, and workplace needs of victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, including emergency assistance for black/african american victims and survivors in detroit, michigan. The project will address priority area 3: expanding economic justice. Specific activities will include: 1) support services and advocacy; 2) culturally relevant counseling; 3) housing assistance; 4) safety planning; 5) employment coaching, educational support, and vocational skills training; and 6) financial education.