Friends Against Abuse has been notified that it has been included in a five-year funding cycle by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Justice Programs.
The funding allows the agency to continue to offer the same level of services to Koochiching and Lake of the Woods counties for the next five years.
“We are very thankful and pleased to be given the opportunity to serve our community and are dedicated to ending domestic and sexual violence,” said LeeAnn Meer, Friends Against Abuse executive director in International Falls.
Friends Against Abuse is an advocacy agency that serves domestic violence, sexual assault, and general crime victims. It provides confidential and free services to residents of Koochiching and Lake of the Woods counties. In addition to advocacy services, FAA also offers: aid with protective orders, 24/7 crisis line, multiple support groups, supervised visitation/ exchanges, safe housing, bullying prevention, safe/unsafe touch youth education, and community presentations/ speakers.
According to Meer, domestic and sexual violence is a global issue reaching across national boundaries as well as socioeconomic, cultural, racial and class distinctions. This problem is not only widely dispersed geographically, but its incidence is also extensive, making it a typical and accepted behavior, she added.
“Domestic violence causes far more pain than the visible marks of bruises and scars,” said Meer. “It is devastating to be abused by someone that you love and think loves you in return. It is estimated that approximately three million cases of domestic violence are reported each year in the United States.”
Occurrences of domestic and sexual assault in rural communities are as frequent as metropolitan areas, statistics show. In the last year, FAA dedicated staff and volunteers have served more than 300 new clients totaling over 3,000 services given, conducted more than 200 support group meetings, offered safe housing for five people, and donated 6,500 hours of volunteer work, reports Meer.
The purpose of Friends Against Abuse is to empower survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault to begin their healing journey through legal, social, and medical advocacy; education and support; and crisis intervention. Friends Against Abuse plans to utilize the Minnesota Office of Justice Program’s funding to promote awareness and work towards social change in hopes to eradicate violence, noted Meer.
