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1.02.08 | The Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation donates $30,000 to SAVES, Inc. A domestic violence/sexual assault prevention agency covering 7 counties in central Montana
SAVES, INC., a domestic violence/sexual assault prevention agency based in Lewistown, MT and the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation announced today that the Foundation has awarded Saves, Inc. $30,000 to provide direct victim services in 7 counties in Central Montana. The counties benefiting from the grant are: Judith Basin, Fergus, Wheatland, Musselshell, Golden Valley, Petroleum and Garfield. Saves, Inc. has averaged 575 new clients per year and 300 secondary victims, mostly children. The additional funds from the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation will help cover on-going staffing costs associated with the caseload increase as well as provide direct assistance to clients in the form of emergency shelter, transportation, peer counseling, household furnishings, food, clothing, diapers and legal advocacy. SAVES, Inc. has been in service since 1981. The board and staff would like to express their gratitude to the foundation for its grant.
According to Naomi Summers, "the $30,000 donation by the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation comes at a critical time for us because we are under-funded and under-staffed and the infusion of these new dollars will help us meet the needs of families in crisis." Mike Halligan, Executive Director of the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, said "we hope this donation will help provide support and eventual stability for victims of domestic violence and their families. We are proud to partner with Saves, Inc. to allow them to continue to provide important crisis intervention services."
Saves, Inc. is funded with a combination of public funds and private donations and coordinates its services with local law enforcement, churches, social service agencies and they operate a clothing and household furnishing store that supplied free items to over 600 families over the past year.
Domestic Violence and sexual assault are two of the problems that arise from substance and alcohol abuse. Methamphetamine abuse adds to the problems as well as poverty issues. One of every three families either know of or are involved with someone in a domestic violent situation.
