Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul with Family Services Director Brian Doyle
POUGHKEEPSIE – Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul was in Poughkeepsie
Thursday announcing a new $6.5 million state grant program to assist agencies
that provide services to victims of sexual assault in communities and
on college campuses.
The one-year grant program is funded by three state agencies; Office of
Victim Services, Division of Criminal Justice Services and the State Department
of Health.
The announcement of the grant was made in the lobby of the Family Partnership
Center run by Family Services Inc. which is one of seven agencies in the
Mid-Hudson receiving funding. Family Services is slated to receive $106,400
while Ulster County Probation is receiving $72,506 and the Mental Health
Association of Orange County is getting $110,300.
There are 55 approved agencies that provide anti-sexual assault crisis
and prevention programs. The program providers consist of hospitals, non-profit
organizations and governmental agencies throughout New York.
Office of Victim Services Director Elizabeth Cronin stressed the need
for programs that support victims of sexual assault. “These programs
serve as pillars of support for rape and sexual assault victims as they
embark on their road to recovery. By providing additional resources to
these state-approved programs our hope is that they will be able to help
even more victims as they recover from their ordeal.”
Hochul has been a staunch advocate for both victims of domestic violence
and sexual assault. According to the It. Governor “2017 has seen
a seismic societal shift in how women are treated.”
