Crime Victims Center of Chester County, Inc. (CVC), an advocacy agency that works to assist crime victims and prevent victimization, will receive $45,000 in state grant funding to assist children impacted by sexual abuse, state Sen. Andy Dinniman said in a press release on Thursday, Dec. 10.
The funds, which were approved by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), come from the Endowment Act Fund, established from monetary penalties imposed on Penn State University by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.
“We continue to work to ensure that some good can come from these heinous crimes,” Dinniman said in the release. “The effects of child abuse are devastating to our children, families and communities. Our goal is for Pennsylvania to become a leader in providing vital services for the treatment and recovery of the victims of child sexual abuse, while holding perpetrators accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Peggy Gusz, executive director of CVC, said she was thrilled to hear the news that the agency had received the grant. She said Dinniman, who “has always been supportive of the work we do,” had stayed on top of their grant application so it was fitting that he was the bearer of the good news.
In Chester County, the grant funds will be used to open two drop-in centers in New Garden Township and West Grove Borough, where CVC has identified a need for services among members of the Hispanic and Latino population and impoverished clients who lack transportation and other resources. The two sites will be staffed by five counselors and two bilingual victim advocates.
“This [grant money] gives us an opportunity to do more in those geographic areas,” Gusz said, adding that the agency has also received great support from the New Garden Township and West Grove Borough police departments.
In addition, the Crime Victims Center will enhance and expand its Children’s Program to include child support groups, a new part of its treatment model for victims of sexual assault and abuse.
“It is great to see the Crime Victims Center continue to expand its reach to ensure its services are readily available and accessible to all of our residents and communities,” Dinniman said in the release. “We must do everything we can to help the most vulnerable among us, our children, and ensure that the victims of child sexual abuse do not suffer in silence.”
Dinniman praised the Crime Victims Center, which has provided services to the region for decades, for its continued advocacy and leadership on a number of legislative issues, including working to prevent domestic violence and cracking down on human trafficking.
The grant comes as part of $3.4 million in funding to be awarded to 44 entities throughout the commonwealth that assist victims of child sexual abuse. Per the settlement agreement reached last January, $48 million in monetary penalties imposed on PSU by the NCAA were deposited into a separate account in the state treasury, the release said.
Under the Endowment Act (Act 1 of 2013), the PCCD is charged to distribute those funds for the benefit of Pennsylvania residents and the specific purposes of assisting child sex abuse victims.
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