Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles Awards $180,000 to Eight Local Organizations for Programs Addressing Sexual and Domestic Violence
General Community Grants Support High-Priority Local Initiatives
LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Jewish
Community Foundation of Los Angeles (The Foundation) today announced
that it has granted $180,000 to eight local organizations that address
domestic and sexual violence prevention and support.
The funding comes through the annual General Community Grants initiative
at The Foundation, the largest manager of charitable assets and the
leader in planned giving solutions for greater Los Angeles Jewish
philanthropists. The General Community Grants program supports
initiatives that address high-priority concerns throughout Los Angeles.
In recent years, this initiative has made grants locally to address
homelessness, youth and adult financial literacy, and for programs that
benefit Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans.
Recipient organizations of The Foundation’s latest General Community
Grants awards include: 1in6; 1736 Family Crisis Center; A Window Between
Worlds; Aviva Family and Children’s Services; Center for the
Pacific-Asian Family; East Los Angeles Women’s Center; Jenesse Center;
and The Rape Foundation.
This year’s General Community Grants coincide with an audit by the City
of Los Angeles Controller’s Office detailing the substantial
underfunding of domestic and sexual violence prevention and intervention
efforts. Following that report, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued
an executive directive ordering the city’s various departments to
mobilize and coordinate its efforts, as well as to expand the police
department’s Domestic Abuse Response Teams (DART) to each of its 21
geographic divisions.
Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer Marvin I. Schotland
stated: “The Foundation is proud to take a leadership role locally in
supporting these eight outstanding programs in their efforts to break
the cycle of domestic and sexual violence across Los Angeles. In view of
the City Controller’s recent audit and report, it is clear that there
are great strides to be made, as the incidence of reported cases of
sexual and domestic violence have risen eight and five percent,
respectively this year. It remains one of our most pressing societal
issues, crossing all religious, demographic, ethnic and socio-economic
lines.”
Aviva
Family and Children’s Services, founded in 1915, is the recipient of
a $30,000 grant to support its Domestic Violence Prevention and
Treatment Groups, which will provide young women in its
residential treatment program with support, education and therapy.
Jeffrey L. Jamerson, Aviva vice president for programs and services,
commented: “Children who grow up with frequent exposure to violence in
the home are prone to numerous social and psychological problems. As
adults, they are at increased risk of becoming a new generation of
victims and abusers simply because they learn at an early age that
violence is a normal part of life. This grant from the Jewish Community
Foundation will support our work to break this cycle of violence among
our residents.”
Awarded a $25,000 grant was the Jenesse
Center for it Domestic Violence Legal Services Program.
The initiative will provide free, culturally sensitive legal assistance
and support to domestic violence victims – primarily low income African
American women and women of color – participating in Jenesse’s shelter,
transitional housing, mental health and vocational program.
Jenesse Chief Executive Officer Karen Earl stated: “We are honored to
have the support of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles.
Jenesse Center ensures that each client has a comprehensive assessment
so that every barrier to self-sufficiency is addressed. The generous
support of the legal program enables us to continue making a difference
as we eliminate all obstacles to peace.”
This year’s other General Community Grants recipient organizations and
their programs, including amounts awarded, are as follows:
-
1in6,
Service Provider Training Program, $20,000—To train and
offer technical assistance to service providers in the Los Angeles
area that will enhance the quality and accessibility of services for
male survivors. -
1736
Family Crisis Center, Domestic Violence Program,
$20,000—To provide training and support for therapists who will treat
survivors and to support a DART advocate who will assist victims of
domestic violence to leave the batterer. -
A
Window Between Worlds, Adult Windows, $20,000—To
sustain therapeutic art-intervention workshops for adult survivors of
domestic and sexual violence and to provide training and support for
new program leaders. -
Center
for the Pacific-Asian Family, Sexual Assault Crisis
Intervention Services, $20,000—To provide continuing service
to survivors of sexual assault, particularly members of the Asian
community, through support groups, as well as immediate services
through a 24-hour hotline and individualized crisis counseling. -
East
Los Angeles Women’s Center, Promotoras Contra La Violencia,
$20,000—To support culturally responsive training for Latina community
leaders who serve domestic and/or sexual violence survivors in Compton. -
The
Rape Foundation for the Rape Treatment Center (at Santa
Monica-UCLA Medical Center), Stuart House, $25,000—To
support therapists providing expert, comprehensive, specialized,
state-of-the-art services to sexually abused children and their
families.
About The Foundation
Established in 1954, the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles (The
Foundation) manages charitable assets of more than $1 billion (as of
12/31/14) entrusted to it by over 1200 families. The Foundation partners
with donors to shape meaningful philanthropic strategies, magnify the
impact of giving, and build enduring charitable legacies. Over the past
25 years, The Foundation has distributed $1 billion in grants to
thousands of nonprofits across a diverse spectrum. www.jewishfoundationla.org
Contacts
Jewish Community Foundation
Bonnie Samotin-Zev or Lew Groner, (323)
761-8700
or
FoleyFreisleben LLC
Jerry Freisleben, (818)
788-0010
