Sens. Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin announced federal funding Wednesday for two West Virginia organizations that support victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

The West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information and Services will receive $147,891, and the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence will receive $91,641 from the Grants to State Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Coalitions Program. 

Women’s Resource Center Executive Director Patricia Bailey said WRC will see benefits from the funding. 

“It will help victims by providing us more funding to do prevention education, for training for our staff, and for services to help us reach more of the underserved populations,” Bailey said. 

“It will help us in working with law enforcement agencies and prosecutor’s offices to improve the process, to better serve victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and to prosecute offenders.”

In a release, Capito said anyone who has suffered from domestic violence or sexual assault deserves access to resources that will keep them safe and help them heal.

“This funding, which I supported as a member of the Appropriations Committee, will help ensure that these critical services are provided,” Capito added.

Manchin said ensuring every woman and child is free from domestic violence must be one of our highest priorities. 

“And that begins with supporting programs like the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information and Services that make a tremendous difference in the lives of victims across the state,” Manchin said. 

“As a staunch supporter of the Violence Against Women Act, I am proud that this funding will continue to support the life changing work that these programs conduct.”

The Grants to State Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Coalitions Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women, provides funding to assist state coalitions with victim services. State coalitions have played a critical role in advancing the goals of the Violence Against Women Act of 2000, serving as a collective voice to end violence against women through collaboration with federal, state and local organizations.

State coalitions provide support to member rape crisis centers, domestic violence shelters and victim service programs, and conduct activities such as providing technical assistance to member agencies, expanding technological capacity, conducting community-based meetings and workshops, increasing the representation of underserved populations, and coordinating law enforcement agencies to develop or enhance strategies to address identified problems.

For more information about local services, contact the Women’s Resource Center at 304-255-2559 or visit wrcwv.org.