LEXINGTON, Ky. — Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., announced more than $2 million is available to support domestic violence victims. The money is from the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and agencies and organizations in Kentucky can apply for some of the funding.

What You Need To Know

  • More than $2 million of funding from the Violence Against Women Act will go to support domestic violence victims

  • Agencies and organizations can apply for some of that funding

  • Domestic violence organizations GreenHouse 17 and ZeroV apply for VAWA funding annually

Domestic violence continues to be a pervasive issue across the U.S., and Kentucky is no exception. One in two women and one in three men in Kentucky have experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime, according to the 2023 Kentucky Domestic Violence Data Report.

GreenHouse17, a domestic violence organization based in Lexington, applies annually for VAWA funding. It uses the money to recruit attorneys who will represent domestic violence survivors in protective order cases.

“Without us being able to partner with lawyers and to be able to pay them a little bit, many survivors would go without legal representation,” said Darlene Thomas, GreenHouse 17 executive director.

That can be the difference between getting or not getting a protective order. Survivors having to pay for representation themselves can also lead to them not seeking protection altogether.

“For survivors, it’s just critical not to have to go through that system alone without support,” Thomas said.

ZeroV, another domestic violence organization that serves every Kentucky county, also applies for VAWA funding.

“For us at ZeroV, we have traditionally used that VAWA STOP funding to fund some of the training we do, and we do trainings around the state,” said Meg Savage, ZeroV chief legal officer.

In the last few years, the organization has shifted funding to make its services more accessible.

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