Attorney General announces $31 million in grants for victims’ services groups

WEST COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — South Carolina’s Attorney General Alan Wilson is announcing the distribution of more than $31 million in grants for victims’ services groups.

Agencies from across the state gathered at West Columbia’s City Hall to bring awareness to their efforts in helping those affected by violent crime.

According to Attorney General Wilson, the funding will serve numerous organizations that work to help victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and human trafficking.

Wilson says many of these organizations that serve victims of violent crime live year to year by these grants, and without them, may not be able to keep their doors open.

“We don’t want them to worry whether or not they’ll exist in a year or two, we want them focused on providing services to victims of crime,” Wilson says.

Wilson also encourages anyone in an abusive situation to reach out, saying, “There’s so many people right now, sitting at home, listening to me talk right now, who are probably not aware of the services being offered. They have been victimized, they have been beaten down, they feel alone, and they feel afraid. And they feel like there’s no hope. I’m here today to say there is hope. There are people out there waiting for you to reach out to them and we just got to get them driven to those services.”

Services provided by the organizations include victim advocacy, therapy, transitional housing, and legal services — many located in the Midlands.

According to the Attorney General’s office, 57 grants totaling over $13 million will go to help 40 agencies across the Midlands, including Sistercare located in Cayce.

Executive Director Leah Wicevic says the organization helps survivors and children of domestic violence.

Wicevic says her sister was a victim of domestic violence and also reports that 42% of women in South Carolina will experience abuse in their lifetime.

“We’re out here everyday working to provide services and to stop that intergenerational cycle of violence to make our communities safer and healthier places to live,” says Wicevic.

Senator Penry Gustafson lost her brother, Troy Brady, to gang violence in 2004. She says funding these organizations remains extremely important.

“When you have grant support, federal support, and state support, it just opens up the doors of possibilities and opportunities of what they can do, and how many people they can hire, managing volunteers, because you know, it’s not all paid people,” says Gustafson.

Rebecca Lorick is the Executive Director of Pathways To Healing, a rape crisis center in Columbia.

Helping other victims is personal for Lorick who was raped, beaten, and strangled by her former partner. She encourages others going through a similar situation to reach out.

“And I know from experience you feel like you’re voiceless. You feel like you have no voice at all, you have no power and control in that relationship, because it’s been taken from you, but you do have that power and you can take that power back,” Lorick says.

The Attorney General’s office reports that approximately 78% of the funds come from federal grants, with the remaining amounts coming from state funds.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-7233.