BRAINERD — Sexual Assault Services Inc. in Brainerd was one of 19 organizations across the state to earn funding from the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota through its Fund for Safety.
The fund provides resources to organizations and programs working to keep communities safer by addressing gender-based violence, trafficking, harassment and other forms of systemic violence. A total of $375,000 was awarded across the state.
In Brainerd, a total of $15,000 will go toward resourcing a sexual assault nurse examiner, or SANE, program in Brainerd, where the closest SANE program is more than an hour away. Funding will support the hiring of a program coordinator, which will train medical professionals in the SANE curriculum, including use of sexual assault kits, trauma-response training and evidence collection.
Funded programs will directly serve an estimated 72,739 women, men, girls, boys, and gender-expansive people across the state, according to a news release.
Of the safety partners, 47% are receiving Women’s Foundation funding for the first time, 42% are in rural and Greater Minnesota, and 58% are led by Black, Indigenous, and women of color. Funded programs will directly serve an estimated 72,739 women, men, girls, boys, and gender-expansive people across the state, according to a news release.
“In virtual site visits, grantee-partners shared that they are seeing a decrease in funding availability, alongside greater costs and need for services caused by the heightened isolation of the pandemic,” according to the Women’s Foundation.
Also earning grant dollars were Ain Dah Yung Center in St. Paul, Breaking Free Inc. in St. Paul, Committee Against Domestic Abuse in Mankato, Esperanza United in St. Paul, First Witness Child Advocacy Center in Duluth, Hmong American Partnership in St. Paul, Liberty Community Church PCUSA in Minneapolis, Little Earth Residents Association in Minneapolis, Men as Peacemakers in Duluth, Minnesota African Women’s Association in Brooklyn Center, OutFront Minnesota Community Services in St. Paul, Seeds Worth Sowing in Willow River, Sexual Violence Center in Minneapolis, Terebinth Refuge in Waite Park, The Link in Minneapolis, Violence Free Minnesota in St. Paul, Violence Intervention Project in Thief River Falls, and Women’s Rural Advocacy Programs in Marshall.
