BROOKINGS – Throughout Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, The Mary Kay Foundation awarded $20,000 grants to 150 domestic violence shelters across the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam for a total of $3 million.
The Brookings Domestic Abuse shelter was chosen to receive one of the annual grants to further the organization’s efforts to combat domestic violence and provide rehabilitation services throughout Brookings and Kingsbury counties.
This year’s grants bring the total investment in The Mary Kay Foundation’s annual shelter grant program to nearly $42 million.
The Brookings Domestic Abuse Shelter plans to utilize the funding for the renovation of bedrooms and common living areas within the shelter. The funds will also support staff wages for the continuance of a 24-hour staffed shelter.
This is especially critical as Brookings now has one of the three round-the-clock staffed shelters in the state.
In the past year, the Brookings Domestic Abuse Shelter has provided 1,503 shelter days and 4,153 services to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking in the Brookings area. The shelter anticipates that service and shelter days will only increase in the upcoming year.
At a time of restricted grant-funding for non-profits in this sector, the Mary Kay Foundation grant and other unrestricted funds are especially vital to the continued existence of the Brookings Domestic Abuse Shelter.
“More than 700 domestic violence shelters nationwide applied for The Mary Kay Foundation shelter grants this year, which demonstrates the overwhelming need to maintain critical services and provide a safe haven for the survivors of an epidemic that impacts one in every four women,” said Anne Crews, board member of The Mary Kay Foundation and vice president of public affairs for Mary Kay Inc.
“Working to prevent and end domestic violence is a cornerstone of the foundation, Mary Kay Inc. and for countless members of our independent sales force. Since 2000, the foundation has invested tens of millions of dollars in our shelter grant program, and without a doubt, we know these funds make a difference in homes and communities across the country.”
