Three-year grant to aid Adams County victims of domestic violence

The New Hope Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services received a three-year grant in September from a donation from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that was given to the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV) to help prevent homelessness for survivors of domestic violence.

WSCADV received a grant of $455,000 from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to assist domestic violence service providers that participate in Domestic Violence Housing First (DVHF) program. WSCADV awarded nine domestic violence programs across the state with the three-year grants, representing a total investment of $1,927,852 from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

DVHF focuses on assisting survivors of domestic violence to find permanent housing quickly, in hopes of bypassing them having to stay in emergency shelters. Survivors receive temporary financial assistance and a flexible structure of services in order to help them have the ability to establish a home and rebuild their lives.

Suzi Fode, the program director at the New Hope office in Moses Lake, is most appreciative for the grant because of the lack of restrictions for how the money must be used. With most federal and state grants, the majority of the money is typically used for the staff and operational costs of the program, while the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grants allow them to use most of the money on the individuals in the DVHF program.

Fode said, “This is the kind of funding that allows us to be more creative. It’s been a really fun adventure, since there’s not a lot of rules around how we can use the money.”

The New Hope agency applied for the grant by filling out a long, and very extensive, application. New Hope received the grant as part of cohort three, which includes eight other programs in Washington.

“Every single person is different. It takes a look at what a survivor is facing in terms of housing. The program allows us to really help the specific person. It could even be something as crazy as buying tires for a car,” said Fode.

All of the services are tailored to the needs of each individual survivor and are voluntary. The financial assistance received from the DVHF program can be used for transportation, job training, job-related expenses, childcare, necessities for the children, home security features and rental costs.

“We don’t want someone to get behind because of their situation, and maybe it’s a situation where they even go into shelter for awhile. The program helps her (the victim) get permanent housing. It might be we help her search, or help with the deposit and with a couple months of rent. The money is used carefully; it’s going places that are really helping people stay safe and get permanent housing,” said Fode.

The grant money can be used to help victims find job support, counseling, clothes for interviews or for a work place and helps the victims understand the type of benefits they are entitled too. The grant money does not pay for food stamps, but can help find and tap into other resources that are available.

“We’ve been frugal with the money, but everyone finds a great deal. It depends on the client, and where they are at, for how long we fund them. Some find success, and some hit a few bumps. We factor in how set they are at being able to keep the permanent housing,” said Fode. “Our goal is safe communities, and smart communities, with an emphasis on education”

New Hope provides multiple services for victims of domestic violence including crisis intervention, medical advocacy, legal advocacy, community advocacy, support groups, trainings and presentations and a Protection Order Clinic.

For more information about New Hope and the services provided, go to the website at http://www.co.grant.wa.us/GrIS/New-Hope/. To learn more about the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, visit gatesfoundation.org.

To contact the Moses Lake office, call (509) 764-8402 or go to the office at 840 East Plum, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. To contact the Othello office, call (509) 488-2699 or go to the office located at 825 East Ash. Office hours at the Othello location are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.