Safe Harbor received a $20,000 grant from The Mary Kay Foundation?. In advance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, the Foundation has awarded $20,000 in grants to 150 domestic violence shelters in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico for a total of $3 million.
While more than half of the grant recipients use the unrestricted funds for basic operating expenses, others hire much needed personnel, complete repairs and facility renovations or add programs and resources based on the unique needs of their shelter and the clients they serve. Safe Harbor will use the grant funding to provide critical support for victims of domestic violence and their children in Greenville, Anderson, Oconee, and Pickens counties.
“At Safe Harbor, we are incredibly grateful for support from The Mary Kay Foundation? and its commitment to break the cycle of domestic violence,” said Samantha Tucker, Grants Manager for Safe Harbor. “Every day, our shelters are providing hope and healing for victims. This is the most critical intervention service we provide. The Mary Kay Foundation? recognizes the importance of this need and is our partner in offering our community these services. We are so thankful.”
“Mary Kay has a long-standing commitment to prevent and end domestic violence,” said Anne Crews, board member for The Mary Kay Foundation? and Vice President of Public Affairs for Mary Kay Inc. “While progress has been made in the United States in meeting the needs of the thousands of domestic violence survivors who seek help each and every day, there remains a significant gap between funding and resources. We know from our work with shelter directors across the nation that the Foundation’s annual grants are a lifeline for many shelters and continues to impact an epidemic that touches one in every four women.”
Since 2000, The Mary Kay Foundation? has donated $35.6 million to domestic violence organizations through its annual shelter grant program. Each year, grants are awarded to at least one domestic violence shelter in every state with the remaining grants distributed based on state population. U.S. territories including Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands have also received funding through the Shelter Grant program. Approximately 625 domestic violence shelters applied for funding this year.
About The Mary Kay Foundation
The Mary Kay Foundation was created in 1996, and its mission is two-fold: to fund research of cancers affecting women and to help prevent domestic violence while raising awareness of the issue. The Mary Kay Foundation has awarded $64.2 million to shelters and programs addressing domestic violence prevention and cancer researchers and related causes throughout the United States. To learn more about The Mary Kay Foundation, please visit www.marykayfoundation.org or call 1-877-MKCARES (652-2737).
