South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced Wednesday that more than $29 million in state and federal grant money is being awarded to agencies that help crime victims across the state.
Wilson was surrounded by legislators, law enforcement and Lowcountry nonprofit leaders as he revealed the number of grants during a press conference at North Charleston City Hall.
“It’s important that we keep the doors open, that we keep these people staffed and funded, and keep the resources flowing to these communities,” Wilson said.
Across the Lowcountry alone, Wilson said 30 agencies will receive more than $9 million. The money will be used to help victims of crime, domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and human trafficking. And it will provide services like emergency shelter, forensic interviews, therapy and sexual assault examinations, just to name a few.
“We want people to know that these organizations exist to serve you,” Wilson said. “You are not alone when you’re going through the criminal justice system.”
One nonprofit receiving funding is the Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center in Charleston. It assists child abuse victims and their families.
“Thes are children from our community,” said the center’s Executive Director Beverly Hutchison. “These families are families that live next door to us.”
Hutchison says thanks to grant money, the center was able to provide services for more than 1,300 children last year.
“We are grateful for the funding that allows us to continue to do the work that we were meant to do,” she said.
Wilson acknowledged that federal funding has been hard to come by. He said his office has seen a 75% drop over the last couple of years. But they’re finding ways to come back.
He said this year’s money come from four grants; the Victims of Crime Act, the Violence Against Women Act, the State Victims Assistance Program, and the Supplemental Allocation for Victims Services.