LEPC Awards Grants to Women’s Coalition, VI Advocates For Children And Family Resource Center For Children

The Law Enforcement Planning Commission (LEPC) has awarded grants to the Women’s Coalition of St. Croix, the Virgin Islands Volunteer Advocates for Children, Inc. and the Family Resource Center, according to a press release LEPC issued on Thursday.

Funding for all the grants was provided by the US Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime Grant administered by the Law Enforcement Planning Commission, under the Office of the Governor.

The first, in the amount of $40,000 awarded to the Virgin Islands Volunteer Advocates for Children as a part the Court Appointed Special Advocates Inc (CASA), will provide services for abused and/or neglected children and sexual assault child victims. CASA will use volunteers who will be assigned to individual cases for monitoring and advocacy on behalf of the child.

This grant will underwrite the CASA staff positions of the Volunteer Coordinator and the training and supervision of the volunteers.

The Family Resource Center, a victim service agency which provides services and support to all victims of crime in an effort to stabilize them in the aftermath of victimization, also received a $40,000 grant.

Services to female victims and their affected children such as shelter accommodations, crisis intervention services, counseling, support groups, volunteer advocate response (using trained volunteers), court support and accompaniment will be underwritten with this VOCA grant. Shelter residents are provided with empowerment skills to assist them with their return to independent living.

Finally, LEPC awarded a VOCA grant to the Women’s Coalition of St. Croix in the amount of $62,568. The grant comes at a critical time for the Coalition, which has been under financial stress for many months, and had been unable to provide some of its most indelible services to victims of violence.

Services underwritten with this grant award will include counseling, support groups, volunteer advocate response, court support, orientation and accompaniment. An in-person response to crime victims is provided using trained volunteers and counselors.