A brand new state grant might assist victims of home violence and sexual assault in Chelsea get the sources they want.
“Crime victims are at the center of everything we do as prosecutors,” stated Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden in a Tuesday assertion saying the grant. “Regardless of whether a survivor of sexual assault or domestic violence choses to participate in a prosecution, we are here to help connect them with the services they need and deserve.”
The DA’s workplace has been awarded a $149,540 yearly grant from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health by the COVID-19 Sexual and Domestic Violence Trust fund.
A big chunk of the cash will go towards a brand new bilingual Outreach Victim Witness Advocate within the workplace’s Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Unit. The nonprofit La Colaborativa will probably be sub-granted greater than $60,000 to offer companies from housing help to foot and job coaching and English language courses to victims.
“Many of the survivors we encounter find themselves struggling with daily necessities as they work to recover from the trauma and harm inflicted by sexual or domestic violence,” Hayden stated.
Founded in 1988, La Colaborativa describes itself on its web site as “a steady, trusted, and fearless partner to Latinx immigrants in Greater Boston, with a focus on gateway cities and towns such as Chelsea, East Boston, Everett, Lynn, Revere, and Malden.”
“Unfortunately, domestic violence and sexual assault are very present challenges in our community — challenges that have only increased in severity and frequency since the pandemic began,” stated Gladys Vega, govt director of La Colaborativa, in a press release.
The new Spanish-speaking Witness Advocate would be the level of contact between the nonprofit and the DA’s workplace, as nicely fulfilling the opposite roles of the put up. The DA’s workplace employs 32 such employees throughout its district places of work, a 3rd of whom communicate a minimum of one language aside from English, the workplace stated.
Those VWAs’ “duties include familiarizing victims and their families with the court process and providing court accompaniment, keeping victims and witnesses informed of court proceedings, performing safety assessments and planning, and helping victims and survivors access resources and services,” DA spokeswoman Renee Algarin advised the Herald.
SafeLink, a statewide home violence hotline, could be reached at 877-785-2020. The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center presents a free and confidential 24-hour hotline at 800-841-8371.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”