CHARLESTON – Several agencies operating locally will receive funding through more than $700,000 in grant announcements this week.

Governor Patrick Morrisey announced the $701,410 in grant funding to “strengthen services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking in rural communities across West Virginia,” according to a press release from Morrisey’s office.

“Every West Virginian deserves to live free from violence and abuse, regardless of where they call home,” Morrisey said in the release. “These grants help ensure victims in our rural communities have access to advocacy, shelter, crisis intervention, and other critical services when they need them most. Supporting victims and holding offenders accountable remains an important priority for our administration.”

Women’s Aid in Crisis, Inc. will receive a grant of $150,612. The funding will “support advocacy, crisis intervention, housing assistance, referrals, and court accompaniment for victims in Barbour, Randolph, and Tucker counties,” the release states.

Women’s Aid in Crisis began in 1979 as a private non-profit, and has been known as Centers Against Violence since 2019.

The West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Inc. will receive a grant of $186,670. The funding will “continue services provided by co-located advocates serving victims of domestic violence in rural communities across West Virginia,” according to the release.

The statewide West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence has one statewide office and 15 programs (Centers Against Violence serves Barbour, Braxton, Randolph, Tucker, Upshur and Webster counties, with an office in each county).

The funding is provided through the West Virginia Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program, which “supports efforts to enhance the safety of rural victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking and supports projects uniquely to address and prevent these crimes in rural areas.”

The grants will help organizations “expand victim advocacy, crisis intervention, housing assistance, court accompaniment, community outreach, and coordinated local response efforts in rural areas throughout the state,” the release states.

The grants are administered by the Justice and Community Services Section of the West Virginia Division of Administrative Services.

Other grant recipients include:

* Family Refuge Center – $136,897

Funding will provide victim advocacy, crisis intervention, housing assistance, referrals, and court accompaniment for survivors in Greenbrier County.

* Eastern Panhandle Empowerment Center – $132,283

Funding will support a Rural Domestic Violence Specialist serving the Eastern Panhandle through victim advocacy, housing assistance, community referrals, and coordinated response efforts.

* Branches Domestic Violence Shelter (Huntington) – $94,948

Funding will support a Domestic Violence Specialist serving Mason County by providing victim advocacy, referrals to community resources, housing assistance, and coordination with local response teams.