The Mary Kay Foundation recognizes domestic violence program, Abriendo Puertas
posted Tuesday, Sep 30, 2014
While domestic violence has experienced a recent boost in awareness due to recent events, women and children in Kent and Sussex counties in Delaware are in need of housing, resource and support programs as they flee abusive situations and work to rebuild their lives.
Abriendo Puertas which operates a shelter in Sussex county received a $20,000 grant from The Mary Kay Foundation as part of the organization’s annual Shelter Grant program to maintain critical services and programs. The Mary Kay Foundation awarded a total of $3 million in funding to 150 domestic violence shelters in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam in advance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October.
“It’s been a bigger challenge than ever for shelters to keep their doors open and grants from The Mary Kay Foundation are a vital part in helping shelters move forward in their missions,” said Anne Crews, board member for The Mary Kay Foundation and Vice President of Public Affairs for Mary Kay Inc. “The shelter grants are a signature program of the Foundation and represent just one of the ways Mary Kay is committed to ending domestic violence. We are proud to support local shelters like Abriendo Puertas that are on the front lines of helping women and children who need shelter and support from abuse.”
Abriendo Puertas provides culturally and linguistically specific services to 50 Latina victims of domestic violence and their children. With over 5,000 reported incidents of intimate partner violence in the state of Delaware, the services offered by Abriendo Puertas are critical for the women who are seeking a safe haven for their families. With the funding from The Mary Kay Foundation Abriendo Puertas will continue helping women who leave shelter by providing them with financial assistance to ease the transition from shelter to a safe and stable home.
“We are thrilled to be one of the programs funded by The Mary Kay Foundation, these funds will allow us to continue helping women heal from the trauma they have experienced. This funding is another useful resource for Latina immigrant women in Delaware who encounter many barriers when they decide to leave their abusive partner”, said Rosemary Martinez, Program Director at Abriendo Puertas.
For nearly 20 years The Mary Kay Foundation has supported the prevention and elimination of domestic violence, an epidemic that touches one in every four women in her lifetime. Through the Foundation’s annual shelter grant program, $37 million has been granted to domestic violence organizations since 2000. Nearly 700 shelters requested funding this year.
About The Mary Kay Foundation
The Mary Kay Foundation was created in 1996, and its mission is two-fold: to fund research of cancers affecting women and to help prevent domestic violence while raising awareness of the issue. Since the Foundation’s inception, it has awarded more than $37 million to shelters and programs addressing domestic violence prevention and nearly $22 million to cancer researchers and related causes throughout the United States. More than 97% of each donated dollar goes to the missions. To learn more about The Mary Kay Foundation, visit http://www.marykayfoundation.org or call 1-877-MKCARES (652-2737).
