MINNEAPOLIS (Dec. 7, 2017) — October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the Mary Kay Foundation awarded $20,000 grants to 150 domestic violence shelters across the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam.
Asian Women United of Minnesota (AWUM) was chosen to receive one of the annual grants to further the organization’s efforts to combat domestic violence and provide rehabilitation services. AWUM will use these unrestricted funds for enhanced shelter programming for women and children, including both wellness and arts-based activities, adding programs and resources based on the unique needs of their shelter and the clients they serve throughout Minnesota.
“At AWUM we are incredibly grateful for support from the Mary Kay Foundation and its continued commitment to break the cycle of domestic violence,” said Claudia Waring, executive director of AWUM.
Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women’s 2014 Annual Report states that more than 63,000 Minnesotans sought advocacy and services from domestic violence programs and 23 domestic violence homicides were recorded in 2014. National statistics: 1 in 4 women (22.3 percent) have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner, while 1 in 7 men (14 percent) have experienced the same.1 1 in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year, and 90 percent of these children are eyewitnesses to this violence.
“More than 700 domestic violence shelters nationwide applied for The Mary Kay Foundation shelter grants this year, which demonstrates the overwhelming need to maintain critical services and provide a safe haven for the survivors of an epidemic that impacts one in every four women,” said Anne Crews, board member of The Mary Kay Foundation and vice president of public affairs for Mary Kay Inc. “Working to prevent and end domestic violence is a cornerstone of the Foundation, Mary Kay Inc. and for countless members of our independent sales force. Since 2000, the Foundation has invested tens of millions of dollars in our shelter grant program and without a doubt, we know these funds make a difference in homes and communities across the country.”
