New Grant to Help Domestic Violence Victims in Florida

A new grant will help domestic violence victims in southwest Florida.

The $5,000 grant, courtesy of the Zonta Foundation of Southwest Florida, was given to Abuse Counseling and Treatment, Inc. (ACT). The award money will go directly to a bilingual counselor who will be placed on staff to increase coverage to bilingual victims in Charlotte and Hendry counties.

While the foundation already had a part-time counselor on staff, the grant will allow it to hire that person on full time. According to Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Benton, the foundation will be able to reach out to 100 more individuals in 2011 through this full-time staff member. In the state of Florida, the crime of domestic violence is rising each year, with a 3 percent increase in 2010 alone. In fact, 20 percent of murders in the state were linked to domestic violence issues.

Since the foundation had already experienced budget cuts, both public and private, over the past several years, this grant was great news for a struggling organization.

Contact our law office to speak with a Jacksonville family law attorney if you are a victim of domestic violence in need of legal help.