The rural domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking program (rural program) is authorized by 34 U.S.C. 12341

The Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women awarded The Harbor, Inc., a nonprofit domestic violence shelter in Astoria, Oregon, $950,000 under the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589) on October 1, 2025, for a period of performance through September 30, 2028.

The Harbor, Inc., in partnership with Astoria Birth Center & Family Medicine, is implementing victim-centered services addressing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in rural communities. The award funds counseling, legal assistance, advocacy, education, and prevention activities serving child, youth, and adult victims in remote and geographically isolated areas of Oregon. The project includes development and expansion of sexual assault forensic examination programs through the partnership with Astoria Birth Center & Family Medicine to improve access to specialized medical services for rural assault victims.

Work is performed in Astoria, Oregon. The Harbor, Inc. is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization registered to receive federal awards since March 2007 and currently holds two prime awards from the Office on Violence Against Women totaling $1,645,519, including this project grant and a prior award that ended September 30, 2025. The organization also operates as a subgrantee under Oregon Department of Justice and Oregon Department of Human Services, receiving pass-through funding for shelter advocates, direct service advocates, youth advocates, sexual assault coordinators, and prevention coordinators providing around-the-clock victim support services.

Rural program funds are used to support programs that: 1) identify, assess, and appropriately respond to child, youth, and adult victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in rural communities; 2) establish and expand victim services in rural communities to child, youth, and adult victims; 3) increase the safety and well-being of women and children in rural communities, by (a) dealing directly and immediately with domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking; and (B) creating and implementing strategies to increase awareness and prevent these crimes; and 4) develop, expand, implement, and improve the quality of sexual assault forensic medical examination or sexual assault nurse examiner programs. Grantees must use at least one of the following strategies in implementing their projects: 1) implement, expand, and establish cooperative efforts and projects among law enforcement officers, prosecutors, victim service providers, and other related parties to investigate and prosecute incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; 2) provide treatment, counseling, advocacy, legal assistance, and other long-term and short-term victim and population specific services to adult and minor victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in rural communities; 3) work in cooperation with the community to develop education and prevention strategies directed toward such issues; 4) develop, enlarge, or strengthen programs addressing sexual assault; and 5) develop programs and strategies that focus on the specific needs of victims of who reside in remote rural and geographically isolated areas. Through this continuation OVW rural program project, the harbor, INC. In partnership with the astoria birth center & family medicine, will implement increase access to sexual assault services project in clatsop county. This victim services project will address the following purpose area(S): 3 and 4 for clatsop county, oregon. Specific activities will include: 1) enhancing sexual assault services by developing the sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) program at the birth center; 2) decreasing stigma associated with reporting sexual assault through increase access to services and community outreach and education; and 3) providing on-going support and sources of healing to sexual assault survivors.