The Faith and Community Technical Support (FACTS) program, a collaboration between Baylor University’s Program on Prosocial Behavior and the state of Montana’s Office of Victim Services (OVS), has awarded $90,000 to Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Johnson City (IHN). The funds will be used to collaborate services and resources with three domestic violence programs in the area: Safe Passage, Abuse Alternatives and CHIPS. ARCH (Appalachian Regional Coalition Coalition on Homelessness) assisted in the development of the grant.

The funds will specifically be used to combine services of counseling for victims of domestic violence, transportation costs, housing deposits, interpreter services, life-skills seminars, and community outreach and education. “We can provide more to clients by combining our resources and expertise with other community agencies,” said Brian Rosecrance, Ex. Dir. of IHN.

  FACTS oversees a national grant competition, which provides funds to support small, rural faith-based and/or community-based programs that provide services for victims of domestic violence and offers technical assistance to those organizations receiving funds.

Victims of domestic violence residing in rural communities face unique challenges that are often times exacerbated by the geographic isolation that comes with living in rural areas, says Dr. Byron Johnson, professor and director of ISR. "For example, the delivery of social services in remote communities may be too late or even absent. This project is designed to be intentional in building capacity so that appropriate social service delivery can be made available even in remote places."

This project was supported by Award No. 2006-WR-AX-K001 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, Department of Justice. It is one of several grants given by the Office on Violence Against Women that will provide funds to faith-based organizations.