Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence Economic Empowerment Program Selected as 5th National Demonstration Pilot Project

Program Improves Financial Independence for Victims of Domestic Violence

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention announced today that the Center for Survivor Agency & Justice (CSAJ) has designated the Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence (MSCFV) Economic Empowerment Center as the fifth national demonstration pilot project. CSAJ will engage MSCFV in a state-wide demonstration project aimed to enhance financial independence and increase meaningful partnerships for domestic and sexual violence survivors throughout Maryland.

“Our administration is extremely proud that a Maryland program has been chosen as a pilot for this incredibly important and highly competitive project,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “We are committed to using every resource possible to support victims of domestic violence, and this partnership is essential to helping Maryland survivors regain their financial stability.”

Maryland’s MSCFV Economic Empowerment Center helps clients who are victims of domestic violence and sexual assault to achieve financial independence through legal and non-legal services. MSCFV data shows 93 percent of clients improved their family financial situation. The Center receives a Victims of Crime Assistance (VOCA) grant of $1.3 million, distributed by the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention for this project.

“Financial dependence is a major factor causing victims to stay in abusive relationships. The Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence Economic Empowerment Center connects victims of domestic abuse to the services they need to help them regain self-sufficiency and financial freedom,” said Glenn Fueston, Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention. “Funding programs that help keep Marylanders safe and improve their quality of life is what we do.”

Founded in 2006, the Center for Survivor Agency and Justice is a national organization that works to enhance economic justice for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. CSAJ enhances economic justice for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault by promoting advocacy approaches that remove systemic barriers, enhance organizational responses, and improve professional practices to meet the self-defined needs of domestic and sexual violence survivors. 

"There is no safety for survivors of domestic violence without economic security,” said Erika Sussman, Executive Director of CSAJ. “We at the Center for Survivor Agency and Justice welcome the opportunity to work with the Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence and their partners to strengthen their work and transform the economic landscape facing survivors of domestic and sexual violence throughout the State of Maryland."

MSCFV is a Maryland-based non-profit organization with nearly 40 years of experience, serving as a critical resource for those impacted by intimate partner violence living on the Eastern Shore in the counties of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot.

“These programs are committed to enhancing current economic civil legal advocacy and illuminating the unique economic ripple effect of domestic violence,” said Jeanne Yeager, Executive Director of MSCFV. “The potential impact is profound, offering additional options for survivors to increase their economic security and safety through a statewide initiative that also helps to galvanize partnerships and foster system change.”

For more information, please visit mscfv.org

                                                        

Governor Larry Hogan and GOCCP Executive Director, Glenn Fueston, join MSCFV Executive Director Jeanne Yeager and staff during the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Economic Empowerment Center which opened in August of 2017. 

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The Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention serves as a coordinating office that advises the governor on criminal justice strategies. The office plans, promotes, and funds efforts with government entities, private organizations, and the community to advance public policy, enhance public safety, reduce crime and juvenile delinquency, and serve victims.