Every three years, non-residential family violence projects in Texas apply for funding from the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Family Violence Program. In the summer of 2007, 20 special programs designed to serve underserved or marginalized communities received a portion of HHSC’s federal funding.

Each program involves their community in the design and implementation of the project; some focus on advocacy with young people while others offer assistance to survivors with disabilities. Maggy McGiffert, TCFV policy and planning manager, said that HHSC’s special project funding guarantees that a certain amount of funding is set aside to meet the unique needs and challenges of communities that often do not have access to resources.

Based on the scope of the project and availability of funds, projects could receive up to $80,000 in funding from HHSC. The special project funding has allowed for many innovative and vital services and projects to receive funding both within existing shelter or nonresidential centers and as stand-alone nonprofits.

Saheli and The Resource Center of Dallas provide specialized services to the Asian and LGBT community, respectively. In San Antonio, the P.E.A.C.E. Initiative provides innovative neighborhood-based community organizing against family violence.

Programs from across the state began applying for funds in Spring 2007, through a competitive request for proposal process. Funding is distributed in a three-year cycle and each program must go through a grant renewal process to ensure that funding continues.

TCFV provided technical assistance to HHSC staff during the development of the request for proposal, and facilitated a grant-writing workshop for potential applicants. The workshop focused on the purpose of special project funding, grant writing tips and tips on how to involve marginalized or underserved communities in the project design ad implementation. Throughout the three-year funding cycle, TCFV will continue to offer technical assistance to HHSC and the projects that received funding.

The following list contains a short description of the HHSC-funded special projects.

Denton County Friends of the Family, Inc. - Denton
Provides transitional housing and legal assistance.
www.dcfof.org

Rapha Ministries- Houston
Family violence outreach and education to immigrant communities.
www.raphafoundation.org

Migrant Clinicians Network, Inc. - Austin
Provides peer-led family violence advocacy and community education projects in Maverick, Presidio and Hale counties.
www.migrantclinician.org

Catholic Charities of Dallas, Inc. - Dallas
Provides education and resources on family violence and other crimes to immigrant communities.

Texas Advocacy Project - Austin
Community education and assistance to programs designed to increase legal services for survivors across Texas.
www.texasadvocacyproject.org

New Beginning Center - Garland
Dating violence prevention program reaching students in Garland and Mesquite.
www.newbeginningcenter.org

Travis County Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Survival Center - Austin
Outreach and education to people with disabilities, their caregivers and disability service providers about family violence and healthy relationships.
www.austin-safeplace.org

Center Against Family Violence – El Paso
Offers assistance to domestic violence survivors to acquire workforce skills such as resume writing and interviewing skills.
www.cafv.org

Hay’s County Women’s Center – San Marcos
Provides counseling services to children of family violence victims.
www.hcwc.org

Putting an End to Abuse through Community Efforts (P.E.A.C.E.) Initiative – San Antonio
Neighborhood community organizing and coalition building around family violence issues.

Bastrop County Women’s Shelter – Bastrop
Provides anti-violence/anti-victimization community education with a focus on rural youth, young males and African-American families.
www.familycrisiscenter.us

Panhandle Crisis Center, Inc. - Perryton
Employment training for victims of family violence.

Saheli - Austin
Provides assistance to Asian/Pacific Islander families experiencing family violence and abuse, provider support.
www.saheli-austin.org

Houston Area Women’s Center - Houston
Outreach education and counseling to youth in African American and Asian communities.
www.hawc.org

Institute of Cognitive Development, Inc. – San Angelo
Provides assistance to victims with housing and childcare costs.
www.icdbridges.org

Resource Center of Dallas – Dallas
Education and services to same-sex victims and the LGBT community.
www.rcdallas.org

Shelter Agencies for Families in East Texas: SAFE-T Legal Program – Mount Pleasant
Legal services for divorce and custody issues to victims of family violence.
www.safe-tagency.com

Families in Crisis, Inc. - Killeen
Provides educational services to female pre-release inmates in Gatesville prison.

Political Asylum Project of Austin – Austin
Provides legal and family violence education to immigrant communities.
www.papais.org

Northwest Assistance Ministries – Houston
Work with at-risk youth in various school districts to teach them how to recognize and avoid abusive behaviors.
www.namonline.org