The Allstate Foundation, a leading advocate for victims of domestic violence and financial abuse, announced today $1.2 million in grants awarded to 20 domestic violence programs around the country. The grants aim to help expand financial empowerment services for approximately 30,000 survivors.
The Purple Purse Moving Ahead Grants, which will be distributed by the 20 awardees to dozens of local domestic violence programs in their states, aim to provide much-needed financial assistance to the nonprofits and those they serve.
Financial abuse occurs in 99 percent of domestic violence cases. Tactics abusers use include denying victims access to money, ruining victims’ credit by stealing their identity or harassing victims at work so they lose their jobs. Without resources of their own, victims are often unable to care for themselves and their families, find employment and housing or save for the future.
Allstate’s senior vice president of corporate responsibility Vicky Dinges said,
People seem to talk about domestic violence only when it involves famous people, but every day there are millions of women and children suffering at home, in silence. The stats speak for themselves. One in four women will be affected by domestic violence in her lifetime. It’s a huge issue and, sadly, there just aren’t enough resources or programs today to help victims break free – and stay free – from abusive situations. Financial support like these Allstate Foundation Purple Purse grants will help, but more importantly, we need to stop the violence from happening in the first place. Our society needs to change. Domestic violence in any form – financial, physical or verbal — is not OK.
Source: Allstate Foundation Awards $1.2 Million to Expand Programs for Domestic Violence and Financial