Portal To Hope (“PTH”) was awarded a Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant via the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA) which will help the nonprofit organization to build capacities and further efforts to serve people whose lives have been impacted by domestic violence crime.
Nationally recognized for its innovative partnership with the Everett Police Department, PTH’s comprehensive service programs and interagency plan to reduce recidivism of domestic violence crime received a boost this past July thanks to the help from MOVA and the VOCA grant. The new funding provides an opportunity for PTH to work more closely with MOVA and other partner programs to improve responses to domestic violence cases and encourage victims to participate in the criminal justice process. The VOCA grant awarded to PTH will support the implementation of crisis intervention supports, emergency shelter services, legal assistance, youth services and a series of community outreach events. New programming will, also, be piloted at Everett High School and at other selected schools in PTH’s catchment area of Everett, Lynn, Malden, Medford and Winthrop in an effort to encourage youth activism in the cause to end teen-dating violence.
“This is a terrific opportunity for PTH to foster a new partnership with MOVA in the effort to end domestic violence,” said Deborah Fallon, Founder of PTH. “To realize the amount of work that MOVA accomplishes – from the administration and oversight of grants to legislative and policy development to actual direct care service programs is amazing and sets MOVA apart as a leader in the cause to end domestic violence. We look forward to building capacities, thanks to MOVA’s help and working to break the culture of domestic violence that remains pervasive in our communities.”
An independent state agency, MOVA was established by the Massachusetts Victim Bill of Rights, and the agency is governed by the Victim Witness Assistance Board chaired by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey. MOVA works to ensure equitable rights and services to all victims of crime in Massachusetts through survivor informed policy development, training and fund administration.
“We are thrilled to fund PTH’s comprehensive programming aimed at engaging communities and youth to combat domestic violence in addition to the lifesaving services they provide to survivors every day,” said Liam Lowney, MOVA’s Executive Director. “Their longstanding relationships with local police departments, government officials, schools systems, and their active involvement in the community make them uniquely qualified to make a big impact in raising awareness around domestic violence and creating access to the supportive services available to help those experiencing abuse.”
To learn more about the domestic violence services offered by PTH, please call (781) 338-7678, or visit www.portaltohope.org. To learn more about MOVA and the array of free victim services funded throughout the state, please visit www.mass.gov/mova, or call (617) 586-1340.