Nearly $12 mil goes to Latin@ specific domestic or sexual assault services

Esperanza United, with support from Mujeres Latinas en Acción, Announces Nearly $12 Million in Historic Funds to go to Hispanic and Latin@ Culturally Specific Community-Based Organizations Providing Domestic or Sexual Assault Services 

Esperanza United to distribute the funds, which come from the federal 2021 Family Violence Prevention & Services Act (FVPSA) and the American Rescue Plan Act 

Today, Esperanza United and Mujeres Latinas en Acción announced the 28 recipients for the “Hispanic and Latin@ Culturally Specific Domestic Violence or Sexual Assault Services Grant.” Seventy-eight organizations applied to receive part of the nearly $12 million in grant funds to be distributed through the end of September 2025. Part of the federal 2021 Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) and the American Rescue Plan Act, the historic grant funds are to be used to enhance access to critical services and support for Hispanic and Latin@ survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence and address emergent needs resulting from the spread of COVID-19.

“At Esperanza United, we know Hispanic and Latin@ survivors of domestic violence find safety, healing, and justice more often and more quickly when they can access culturally-specific services,” said Patti Tototzintle, President and CEO of Esperanza United. “However, Latin@ and Hispanic-specific community-based organizations historically struggle for support. We are proud and grateful to be part of addressing this longstanding inequity by awarding these funds to our truly impressive grantees.”

One such domestic violence grantee is Proyecto Matria, Inc. of Puerto Rico. “In 2020, Matria established a 24/7 Helpline to reach women in situations of gender-based violence who were locked in their homes and without access to services adapted to their reality. Other sister organizations joined our initiative and our Helpline became a telephone service network that unites our knowledge and resources,” shared Matria Executive Director Amárilis Pagán Jiménez. “With this grant, we will take the Helpline to another level. We will be able to increase the skills of all the operators of the Line, we will strengthen the legal aid component and we will reach more homes in the country through a media campaign so that people know about the service. Our goal is that no victim of gender violence feels alone at home and that they know that the help they need is just a phone call away.” 

“Mujeres Latinas en Acción is delighted by the announcement of the culturally specific sexual assault grantees. These organizations have demonstrated their commitment to expand and develop their programs to strengthen services for the Latine/x populations in the United States,” said Linda Xóchitl Tortolero, President and CEO of Mujeres Latinas en Acción. “We plan to support the grantees in their efforts to reach their goals and deliver more critical services based on their own particular community’s needs. Hopefully, this is the beginning of increased investments in training and technical assistance to foster the development of more culturally specific Latine/x sexual assault programs.”

Casa Fortaleza of New Mexico is receiving support for its sexual assault programming. Executive Director Valerie Sanchez said, “We are extremely grateful for this funding which enables us to continue to provide quality services to the Latin@ community. Culturally and linguistically specific services are historically underfunded, limiting accessibility for survivors of sexual violence. This unique opportunity will allow the accessibility to trauma-informed services that help guide survivors to a path to healing.”

A complete list of grantees follows. For questions or additional information about the grant program, please contact Danielle Nigam at dnigam@esperanzaunited.org and 651-646-5553.

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Domestic Violence Grantees

La Casa Inc., New Mexico, lacasainc.org 

Casa Juana Colon Apoyo, Puerto Rico, casajuanacolon.com

Casa Luz, Tennessee, casaluzmemphis.org

Casa Protegida Julia de Burgos Inc., Puerto Rico, casajulia.org

Centro La Familia Advocacy Services Inc., California, centrolafamilia.org

Chicanos Por la Causa, Arizona, cplc.org

Consejo Counseling and Referral Services, Washington, consejocounseling.org

Enlace Comunitario, New Mexico, enlacenm.org

Hispanos Unidos de Buffalo, New York, promesa.org

The Latina Center, California, thelatinacenter.org

Mixteco, California, mixteco.org

Monarch Services, California, monarchscc.org

Mujeres Unidas en Justicia Educacion y Reforma Inc., Florida, mujerfla.org

Ohio Hispanic Coalition Institute, Ohio, ohiohispaniccoalition.org

Proyecto Matria, Inc., Puerto Rico, proyectomatria.org

Sepa Mujer Inc., New York, sepamujer.org/

Taller Salud Inc., Puerto Rico, tallersaludpr.org

Voces Latinas Corporation, New York, voceslatinas.org

Sexual Assault Grantees

Alianza Nacional de Campesinas OR/FL, California, campesinasunited.org

Casa Fortaleza, New Mexico, casafortaleza.org

Community Estrella, Georgia,.facebook.com/comunityestrellas/

Core El Centro, Wisconsin, core-elcentro.org

Latinos in Virginia Empowerment Center, Virginia, latinosenvirginia.org

LUNA (Latinas Unidas por Un Nuevo Amanecer), Iowa, lunaiowa.org

Nuevo Sendero, Florida, nuevosendero.org

Pati’s Libelulas, Iowa, patislibe.org

Trinity Healing Center, New York, thehealingcenterny.org

Violence Intervention Program, New York, vipmujeres.org

About Esperanza United

Esperanza United mobilizes Latinas and Latin@ communities to end gender-based violence. Formerly Casa de Esperanza, Esperanza United was founded in 1982 by a small group of persevering Latinas as an emergency shelter in St. Paul, Minnesota. Since then, we have grown into the largest national organization mobilizing Latin@s to end gender-based violence, including as a federally-designated resource center. Our work is rooted in our belief in the strength of Latin@s within the context of family and community. In Minnesota, we provide critical local services, ranging from enhancing safety for Latin@ survivors to strengthening youth leadership. Our national work includes training and consulting services, our research center, and public policy initiatives. More information available at esperanzaunited.org.

About Mujeres Latina en Acción

Founded in 1973 in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, Mujeres Latinas en Acción (Mujeres) is the nation’s longest-standing Latina-led organization providing unique and vital services that support Latinas and their families as they heal, thrive, and lead. Mujeres’ programs include domestic violence, sexual assault, Empresarias del Futuro (Entrepreneurs of the Future), community management & Mobilization, and parent support. This year, Mujeres is launching a national resource center to support Latine/x survivors of sexual assault that will build on the three decades of Mujeres’ successful sexual assault services and experience. More information available at www.mujereslatinasenaccion.org.

Disclaimer

This work is supported by The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children & Families, Family and Youth Services Bureau, Family Violence Prevention & Services Act Program grant number 90EV0556. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations conveyed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA).