ROCKFORD — City officials will team with social service providers to tap a federal grant that trains men and boys as allies in the fight against domestic violence and sexual abuse.
The nearly $350,000 grant from the US Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women grant will be used to create educational programs that encourage men and boys to work as allies with women, girls and marginalized communities to prevent domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault , stalking and sex trafficking.
“Too many American children carry the burden of trauma after being exposed to violence at such a young age,” US Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, said in a news release. “Often, these kids are left without support to cope with their experience.”
The project will develop and implement a train-the-trainer program for community organizations or programs to incorporate education and/or training into their existing work with male clients to prevent violence against women and girls. Partners in this grant include the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, Rockford Park District, The Wright Way and the LIAM Foundation.
Rockford is also the recipient of a separate $843,521 grant over 36 months from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to create a Community Healing Center at the Boys and Girls Club on Kilburn Avenue.
Similar to the Family Peace Center model, this center will be a multiagency facility where children exposed to violence and their families can get healing and supportive services that promote trauma recovery, youth development, and violence prevention and interventions.
Partners include Winnebago County Juvenile Probation, the City’s Health and Human Services Department, Rockford Police Department, Boys and Girls Club, Region 1 Planning Council, Carrie Lynn Children’s Center, Family Peace Center, RAMP, Winnebago County State’s Attorney’s Office, The Wright Way and Youth Services Network, according to a news release.
“We are thrilled to be bringing more than $1 million dollars to our community for crime prevention and intervention efforts for our youth,” Mayor Tom McNamara said in the release.
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