COLUMBUS — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced this week that nearly six dozen local victim service projects have been awarded a total of $3.2 million to safely support victims of crime.

Sixty-six projects will be funded by grants through the Family Violence Prevention & Services Act (FVPSA) grants program.

“This vital funding will help prevent incidents of family violence and provide immediate shelter and related assistance for victims and dependents,” said Governor DeWine.

The purpose of the federal FVPSA Program is to support the establishment, maintenance, and expansion of programs and projects to:

• Prevent incidents of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence;
• Provide immediate shelter, supportive services, and access to community-based programs for victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence, and their dependents; and
• Provide specialized services for children exposed to family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence, underserved populations, and victims who are members of racial and ethnic minority populations.

Funding recipients in this area include:

• Appleseed Community Mental Health Center in Ashland County, which received $61,316 for its Safe Haven project.
• Helpline of Delaware and Morrow counties, which received $54,400 to help its program to deal with family violence prevention.
• New Directions of Knox County, which received $54,269 for its program dealing with family violence prevention.
• Turning Point in Marion County, which received $58,026, to assists is shelter program.
• The Domestic Violence Shelter in Richland County, which received $66,734 to assist its shelter program.
• The Sandusky Valley Domestic Violence Shelby in Seneca Sounty, which $34,036 for its First Step program.
• One Eighty, Inc., in Wayne County, which received $68,000 for its Family Violence Prevention program.

The funding will be administered by the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS), a division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. For more information, visit www.ocjs.ohio.gov.

Additional funding

DeWine also announced in July that 114 local law enforcement agencies, courts and service providers have been awarded nearly $6 million to support the fight against COVID-19 during the second round of Ohio’s Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) grant program.

“This second round of funding will help local courts from across the state purchase a variety of remote technology and personal protection equipment, such as plexiglass shields to keep personnel safe,” he said.

In this area, funding included:

• $14,620 for the Willard Police Department;
• $2,152,84 for the Bellville Police Department;
• $35,691.65 to Richland County Juvenile Court;
• $35,774 to Wayne County Municipal Court;
• $19,600 to Wyandot County Common Pleas Court.

CARES Act funding

On July 10, Ohio awarded 34 agencies a total of $1.2 million for victim service providers. Recipients included:

• $10,000 to the Appleseed Community Mental Health Center in Ashland County;
• $16,942 to New Horizons in Knox County;
• $23,040 to Turning Point in Marion County;
• $29,010 to Sandusky County Domestic Violence Center (First Step).