Washington, DC— U.S. Rep. John Katko (NY-24) today announced $1,588,292 in federal funds will be distributed to Vera House Inc., the City Of Syracuse, Oswego County Opportunities, Inc., and Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency, Inc. These funds are available through the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Enhancing Services for Older Victims of Abuse and Financial Exploitation Program, Justice for Families Program, and Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program.
In Congress, Rep. Katko has advocated for sustained federal support for these important DOJ programs. Last year, he voted to pass the VAWA Reauthorization Act of 2019, which would reauthorize programs administered under VAWA through 2024, including the Justice for Families Program. Most recently, he introduced bipartisan legislation that would increase funding for the DOJ Office for Victims of Crime, which administers the Enhancing Services for Older Victims of Abuse and Financial Exploitation Program.
“As a former federal prosecutor, I fought tirelessly to make our community safer and to secure justice for victims and their families,” said Rep. Katko. “Now, working alongside Democrats and Republicans in Congress, I’ve led bipartisan efforts that strengthen critical programs administered by the Department of Justice to protect and support victims. As a result of these efforts, I’m proud to announce over $1.5 million in funds will be distributed to Vera House Inc., the City Of Syracuse, Oswego County Opportunities, Inc., and Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency, Inc. Together, these awards will expand services that promote public safety and support those affected by crime.”
The full list of grants can be found below:
Vera House Inc., $500,000, Enhancing Services for Older Victims of Abuse and Financial Exploitation. This program supports projects that improve outcomes, minimize additional trauma, and restore safety and security to older adult victims of abuse and financial exploitation. Vera House will use the funds to expand their Community-Based Options to Respond to Elder Abuse (CORE). This program provides community-based services for victims of elder abuse in diverse, lower-income housing communities, who may be reluctant to use, or unable to access existing services.
City of Syracuse, $90,306, Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program – Local Solicitation. This program allows state and local governments to support activities that prevent and control crime. The City of Syracuse can use this award to support multi-jurisdictional drug and gang task forces, crime prevention and domestic violence programs, courts, corrections, treatment, justice information sharing initiatives, or programs aimed at enhancing public safety.
Oswego County Opportunities, Inc., $ 470,000, Justice for Families Program. The program supports activities for improving the capacity of courts and communities to respond to families impacted by crimes. Oswego County Opportunities, Inc. will use the funds to continue providing supervised visitation, safe exchange services, and improved access within the rural community. They will also create a specialized intake center for domestic violence cases in the court to file protection orders and complete intakes for supervised visitation services and provide training to court-based and court related personnel about domestic violence and trauma-informed practices.
Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency, Inc., $527,986, Justice for Families Program. Cayuga/Seneca Community Action will use this award to provide supervised visitation and safe exchange services to the rural service area. They will also provide training for court-based and court-related personnel on the dynamics of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
