August 24, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
| Robert Nasdor Executive Director Legal Assistance Corp. Of Central Massachusetts (508) 752-3722 ext. 3011 |
Virginia Navickas Director Daybreak Resources for Women and Children (508) 791-3181 ext. 3014 |
Joanna Tulonen Executive Director Battered Women’s Resources, Inc. (978) 537-2306 |
The Legal Assistance Corporation of Central Massachusetts (LACCM) was awarded a $450,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday. The grant will enable LACCM to provide services to domestic violence victims in partnership with Worcester’s Daybreak Resources for Women and Children, a program of the YWCA, and Battered Women’s Resources, Inc. (BWRI), of Fitchburg.
“This is a substantial grant that will help hundreds of domestic violence victims effectively break the cycle of abuse,” said Robert Nasdor, Executive Director of the Legal Assistance Corporation of Central Massachusetts. “We look forward to working with Daybreak and BWRI on this project.”
U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy said the grant was, “a credit to Massachusetts and these organizations, and to our commitment to protect all of our citizens. They address a very real and serious problem of violence in our communities. These are the kinds of effective local efforts we intended to support when Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act.”
In response to the announcement, U.S. Congressman James P. McGovern said, "I am very grateful the Department of Justice has recognized the vitally important work these agencies do on behalf of victims of domestic violence. This federal funding means so much because it will help so many break the cycle of domestic violence."
LACCM, Daybreak, and BWRI developed the Legal Advocacy for Women (LAW) Partnership, uniting LACCM’s broad legal expertise with BWRI and Daybreak’s in-depth knowledge of the dynamics of domestic violence. Together, the agencies provide a strong, comprehensive continuum of legal services designed to help victims and their families escape the violence and emotional trauma they have suffered.
The overall goal of the LAW Partnership is to expand and improve services to help victims obtain abuse prevention orders as well as broad-based legal advice and representation for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. The LAW Partnership will meet this goal through the joint efforts of lay court advocates in conjunction with the SAFEPLAN program and attorneys providing direct services, in combination with a strengthened referral and support network to ensure victims receive all necessary services.