Jackson Free Press

The future of the Catholic Charities Legal Assistance Clinic in Jackson, which provides legal services for women and children fleeing domestic abuse, is uncertain, as pending upcoming funding decisions. Funding for the clinic from the Mississippi Bar and the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women ended in August 2009.

Dr. Gwen Bouie-Haynes, project director of Domestic Violence Services at Catholic Charities Inc., says the clinic gets 5 percent of its funding from the Mississippi Bar Association and 95 percent from the DOJ'S Office On Violence Against Women. The clinic has received two-year grants through the DOJ's Legal Assistance for Victims Grant Program since 2003. The clinic has again submitted a grant application to the program and will know Sept. 30 the status of their application.

"If we do not receive funding we will be forced to make a real critical decision on the program. It is critical that we find additional funding. If we are forced to close it will impact victims in a number of ways," Bouie-Haynes said.

Bouie-Haynes said that the clinic offers important legal services for 250 to 300 women annually, including legal protection for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. The clinic also provides safe housing for victims, and helps women collect child-support payments.

Currently, the clinic is operating on a month-to-month basis on private donations.
Officials from the Department of Justice claim that the two-month grant application process at the Office on Violence Against Women became increasingly competitive this year as a decline in private donors has caused more organizations to seek federal funds.

If you would like to donate money to Catholic Charities Inc., contact Dr. Gwen Bouie-Haynes at 601-366-0750.

Previous Comments

ID

152174

Comment

This is a very needed service. This organization has done so much for so many over the years. With a rise in domestic violence, sexual assults and other crimes against mostly women, the need becomes even grater. It is my hope that other funding sources can be identified if the DOJ's funding fades.

Author

justjess

Date

2009-09-21T12:42:39-06:00