Lowcountry crime victims agencies receive almost $10 million in grant money

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Agencies that help the victims of crimes are getting some help in the Lowcountry and across the state.

Earlier this year, the South Carolina Public Safety Coordinating Council approved 40 grants for the Lowcountry that total $9,976,920. Those grants will go to 30 different area-based agencies, including non-profits, sheriff’s offices, police departments, solicitor’s offices and other agencies.

The grants are put into three different categories: Victims of Crime Act, Violence Against Woman Act and the State Victim Assistance Program.

Attorney General Alan Wilson and crime victim agencies gathered at the North Charleston City Hall on Thursday to announce how the grant money would be distributed between agencies.

Jenn Faro, Barnabas Horse Foundation Community Outreach Coordinator, is one of the organizations receiving $209,681 in grant money. The foundation helps victims of crimes work with horses to transition into a healthy healing process.

“It’s amazing the number of stories that we hear from people about how we’ve changed their lives, how we saved them or gave them the confidence to go on and be a healthy person in society,” Faro said. “We’re changing our community one story at a time.”

Wilson said the criminal justice system can be scary, but for those who feel alone, look to the many crime victim organizations throughout the Lowcountry.

“Those who feel like they have no hope or no voice, look around,” Wilson said. “The men and women standing up here representing these organizations, these nonprofit agencies, they’re here to give a voice to the voiceless, hope to the hopeless, and give power to the powerless.”

Receiving $334,411 in grant money, Doors to Freedom, provides safe places for survivors of sex trafficking. Christabeth Turner with Doors to Freedom asked one of the girls staying at their facilities what they would like to share about the organization.

“I want you to know that Doors of Freedom is an amazing place to be. I want to work at Doors one day because just like Doors helped me, I would like to help other survivors,” Turner said.

It is not just in the Lowcountry, as groups that help crime victims across South Carolina will soon be getting more than $32 million in federal and state grants, according to the state’s attorney general’s office. Approximately 98 percent of the money comes from federal grants, with the remaining portion from state funds.

The award breakdown for the Lowcountry agencies is listed below:

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