LEXINGTON, Ky. — Earlier this month, Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., and the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet announced 15 organizations that help victims of domestic violence will receive $750,000 in grant funding. 

What You Need To Know

  • Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky. and Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Keith Jackson have awarded $750,000 in grant funding to 15 Kentucky organizations supporting victims of crime

  • Kentucky is one of many states to have experienced reduced funding because of nationwide monetary decreases in the federal Victims of Crime Act 

  • The Justice and Public Safety Cabinet’s state fiscal year 2024 budget includes $750,000 from the State Fiscal Recovery Fund of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to supplement the reduced funding

  • The additional funding helps programs focused on crime reduction or assisting victims

The funds come from federal COVID-19 relief dollars first allocated in 2021 and supplement a decrease in other federal funding for domestic violence prevention services. 

One place receiving funding is The Nest in Lexington, which provides several services to victims. The nonprofit received $30,000 and will use it to pay for divorce and child custody legal expenses. 

Aubrey Girouard is an attorney for The Nest in Lexington, which received $30,000 from recent grant funding. (Spectrum News 1/Mason Brighton)

“Essentially, if I am able to get a protective order for a client, that’s not where it stops ... we need more long-term protection for survivors,” said Aubrey Girouard, attorney for The Nest. 

Girouard said this money will do just that, especially as the need for services like these continues to rise. 

“The need is growing, and it’s growing fast," Girouard said. "There (are) only so many attorneys in town that can help from the nonprofit world, so we’re excited to get this money to be able to extend that help."

Another organization receiving funding is Barren River Area Safe Space (BRASS) Inc., which serves Bowling Green and its surrounding counties. The sole domestic violence resource in that area was awarded $29,000. 

“It was great to go from thinking I was going to get $0 to getting $29,000,” said Tori Henninger, BRASS executive director. 

Henninger said this money will provide emergency housing assistance to domestic violence victims and will fund hotel rooms for the next year.

Having funds for those expenses, Henninger said, will allow them time to focus on fundraising and plan on how they will handle emergency housing.

“We have six families in our hotels right now, and that's about 15 people," Henninger said. "Trying to figure out what are we going to do with those 15 people was a little bit overwhelming."

"Now, we know that we can continue for at least a little bit longer and (make) sure that those people have a safe place.”

Girouard and Henninger both said they are thankful for these grants and believe they will go a long way toward helping those who need it the most. 

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