In support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, The Mary Kay FoundationSM announced it is awarding $3 million in grants to 150 domestic violence shelters across the country. The Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence (MSCFV) is one of 150 domestic violence agencies nationwide that has received a $20,000 unrestricted grant to support local survivors of domestic violence in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot Counties.
Since its creation in 1996, The Mary Kay Foundation has awarded more than $78 million to women’s shelters and domestic violence service providers, as well as cancer research programs and related causes throughout the United States. While the Mary Kay Foundation funding is for general operations, this honor is recognition of MSCFV’s holistic approach to providing services to victims of family violence and of the innovative programming that MSCFV has created to address the diverse obstacles victims experience on their way to becoming self-sufficient survivors. Some of the innovative programming recognized by the Mary Kay Foundation include MSCFV’s:
- Economic Empowerment Center that addresses the results of economic abuse
- Pet Safety Program that helps victims continue to take care of their pets throughout their Journey to Strength
- Translation Program to provide translation services on the 24/7 hotline and in court hearings
“At Mary Kay, we believe in helping women improve their circumstances and live their best lives. One in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime and it is our responsibility to support the women’s shelters that aid these survivors,” said President of The Mary Kay Foundation Board of Directors Michael Lunceford. “At the heart of The Foundation’s work is the shelter grant program which is actively supported by our independent sales force. We’re proud that our commitment makes such a powerful impact in local communities and in the lives of domestic violence survivors across the country.”
“MSCFV wishes to thank the Mary Kay Foundation, Mary Kay customers that provide the funding for these grants, and the Mary Kay consultants that continue to promote Mary Kay Ash’s Go-Give philosophy that an act of kindness leads to an atmosphere of trust, caring, and relationship building,” said MSCFV Executive Director Jeanne Yeager. “Every year, MSCFV serves over 350 victims of family violence and their 500+ children as they work to end their cycle of violence and build strong, self-sufficient and loving futures for themselves and their families. We are so thankful for this recognition of our efforts.”
About Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence
With the goal of helping victims end the violence in their lives, since 1980, the Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence (MSCFV) has been the central point of access for assistance on domestic violence within the counties of Maryland's Middle Eastern Shore. The mission of MSCFV is to create healthy opportunities to break the cycle of domestic violence through intervention and prevention for victims and abusers; and by changing society's attitudes and systems which permit and promote such violence against women, men and families. MSCFV provides services that span from crisis-focused hotline, legal services, and emergency shelter to counseling, education, economic empowerment programs and longer term transitional housing. To Contact our Family Violence Hotline, call 1-800-927-4673 (HOPE) To learn more about Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence, contact (410) 690-3222 or visit www.mscfv.org.
About The Mary Kay Foundation℠
The Mary Kay Foundation was created in 1996 and its two-fold mission includes funding women’s cancer research and ending domestic violence. Over the course of more than two decades, The Mary Kay Foundation has awarded more than $78 million to women’s shelters and domestic violence service providers, as well as cancer research programs and related causes throughout the United States. To learn more about The Mary Kay Foundation and its mission, visit marykayfoundation.org or call 1-877-MKCARES (652-2737).