Newburgh - The Safe Homes’ shelter has been chosen to receive a $20,000 grant from The Mary Kay Foundation as part of the organization’s annual $3-million national domestic violence grant program. Safe Homes of Orange County is one of 150 domestic violence organizations participating in the program. The grant will be use to provide clinical, mental-health services for victims affected by domestic violence and their children, while residing at the agency’s shelter.
"Safe Homes has a long-term commitment to comprehensive services, and we strive to fill gaps deemed crucial to our mission for the elimination of domestic violence," said Michele McKeon, Safe Homes’ Executive Director. "The Mary Kay grant will help us address the psychological, counseling needs of residential clients traumatized by domestic violence with professional help that is sensitive to, and trained in, the complex nuances and dynamics of the issue. This much needed funding from The Mary Kay Foundation arrived on October 1st, as we kicked-off celebrations of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and it was a very special note of affirmation and validation of the work we do every day."
The economic climate has not only caused a decrease in donations to service agencies nationwide, but has also contributed to an increase in the need for domestic violence services. In May 2009, Mary Kay’s Truth About Abuse survey of domestic violence shelters across the country revealed alarming results: since September 2008, a major turning point for the U.S. economy, three-out-of-four domestic violence shelters report an increase in women seeking help with the toll of intimate-partner abuse violence.
In light of the economic downturn and steep climb in domestic violence, The Mary Kay Foundation’s mission is more critical than ever before. Safe Homes has been helping women and their families in Orange County for twenty-three years. We know they will use these funds to benefit even more domestic violence survivors and their children, and help end domestic violence in their community," said Jennifer Cook, Board Member, The Mary Kay Foundation.
