The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) awarded $500,000 in grant funding to 26 non-profits to provide emergency shelter and services to victims of domestic violence and their dependents. The funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) program.
“Domestic violence shelters are there for people during some of the darkest moments in their lives,” said Devon McDonald, ICJI Executive Director. “They provide a safe haven in the community, and we’ll continue to use every tool at our disposal to reinforce the work they’re doing to care for those in need.”
Established in 1981, the SSBG program is a flexible funding source that allows states to tailor social service programming to address their needs. In Indiana, the funding is distributed to the Indiana Department of Child Services, which allocates a portion to ICJI to assist residential domestic violence programs.
This year, organizations will use the grants to provide items like food, clothing, transportation and shelter to survivors in crisis. The goal of the program is to help offset the cost of certain operational expenses, so that other funding may be used to provide support services.
“Providing access to safe accommodation and shelter, along with survivor-centered support, such as counseling and criminal justice resources, can break the cycle of violence and help people begin to recover,” said Kim Lambert, ICJI Victim Services Director. “The grant funding we’re releasing today is part of a larger strategy to increase access to those services.”
The grants were approved by the ICJI Board of Trustees earlier this month and will be made available to organizations starting in July.
The following is a list of the 2022 SSBG award recipients. For a PDF version, click here or visit on.in.gov/SSBG.
| Organization | County | Award Amount |
| YWCA Northeast Indiana | Allen | $32,200 |
| Columbus Regional Shelter for Victims of Domestic Violence, Inc. | Bartholomew | $27,500 |
| A Better Way Services, Inc. | Delaware | $17,500 |
| Hope Springs Safe House, Inc. | Fountain | $13,800 |
| Sheltering Wings Center for Women | Hendricks | $19,700 |
| Family Service Association of Howard County, Inc. | Howard | $12,600 |
| North Central Indiana Rural Crisis Center, Inc. | Jasper | $21,800 |
| Jennings County Council on Domestic Violence | Jennings | $6,500 |
| Kosciusko County Shelter for Abuse, Inc. DBA Beaman Home | Kosciusko | $17,400 |
| Stepping Stone Shelter for Women, Inc. | La Porte | $13,100 |
| Haven House, Inc. | Lake | $18,500 |
| St. Jude House, Inc. | Lake | $16,400 |
| Alternatives Incorporated of Madison County | Madison | $27,300 |
| The Julian Center, Inc. | Marion | $35,000 |
| The Salvation Army | Marion | $11,500 |
| Middle Way House, Inc. | Monroe | $23,100 |
| Family Crisis Shelter | Montgomery | $21,800 |
| Desert Rose Foundation, Inc. | Morgan | $11,400 |
| The Caring Place | Porter | $8,300 |
| Safe Passage, Inc. | Ripley | $20,000 |
| YWCA North Central Indiana | St. Joseph/Elkhart | $36,000 |
| YWCA Greater Lafayette | Tippecanoe | $21,800 |
| Albion Fellows Bacon Center, Inc. | Vanderburgh | $23,500 |
| YWCA of Evansville, IN Inc. | Vanderburgh | $15,900 |
| Council on Domestic Abuse, Inc. | Vigo | $10,000 |
| Prisoner & Community Together, Inc. | Washington | $17,400 |
Visit www.cji.in.gov to learn more about the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.