The Foundation gave $35,000 each to three women's organizations that help survivors of sexual abuse, domestic violence, and human trafficking find pathways to healing
Washington, DC (November 20, 2018) – The Venable Foundation Inc., the philanthropic arm of the AmLaw 100 law firm Venable LLP, is pleased to announce it awarded $105,000 in grants benefiting three Washington, DC-based women's organizations that empower and support the healing of women and young girls who are survivors of sexual abuse, domestic violence, and human trafficking. FAIR Girls, House of Ruth, and My Sister's Place each received a $35,000 grant.
"We are in awe of the vital work of these three organizations. They continuously have uplifted and supported young girls and women in our community by providing recovery resources, a safe place, and a pathway to healing," said William D. Coston, a Venable partner and Foundation board member. "The grants are a symbol of our support of their missions."
Venable Foundation President Lindsay B. Meyer said, "The Venable Foundation's core pillar is to work to promote the health and well-being of the communities where Venable's clients and attorneys work and live, and these three women's organizations are doing just that. We are proud to support the important work they do."
The three organizations plan to use the grant money in the following ways:
"With the generous support of the Venable Foundation, FAIR Girls is able to reduce the barriers faced by young women and girls being trafficked, and assist these individuals referred to us as they safely liberate themselves from human trafficking. Through safe housing, advocacy and policy efforts, individualized client-centered services, and life skills, they need to transition from victim to survivor, in pursuit of our mission to end human trafficking, one life at a time," said Quincy Inman, development and fundraising manager with FAIR Girls. The organization provides intervention and holistic care to survivors of human trafficking who self-identify as girls or young women. Through prevention education and policy advocacy, FAIR Girls also works to eradicate human trafficking and create brighter outcomes for survivors in the metropolitan Washington, DC area. Venable's advocacy of FAIR Girls goes back years and has been advocated by top firm leadership, including former Venable Managing Partner and now District of Columbia Attorney General Karl A. Racine.
Sandra Jackson, executive director of House of Ruth, said, "The generous donation from the Venable Foundation will help us fulfill our mission of helping women and children survivors of homelessness and domestic violence. This is an invaluable gift for House of Ruth that we will cherish." House of Ruth meets the needs of the most vulnerable women and children in Washington, DC through 11 different supportive housing programs, a free outpatient counseling center for survivors of domestic violence, and a nationally accredited therapeutic child development center that helps homeless children overcome developmental delays resulting from trauma exposure. For more than 42 years, House of Ruth has grown in response to the needs of the community and the population we serve, and we have helped bring safety and stability into the lives of more than 11,000 women and children.
Mercedes Lemp, executive director of My Sister's Place, said, "We are excited to count on the Venable Foundation as a partner in offering survivors of domestic violence a lifeline. The support will help us address a major obstacle facing survivors and their children by allowing us to expand our transitional housing program. The inability to afford housing oftentimes keeps survivors in abusive situations. We are thrilled to be able to help more women and children rebuild their lives with the help of the foundation." My Sister's Place offers a full continuum of care, from emergency shelter through transitional-to-permanent housing. Their experienced team of case managers and residential counselors provides clinical counseling, case management, and comprehensive services to empower survivors to recover and thrive.
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The Venable Foundation Inc., now in its 35th year, has contributed more than $25 million in the last 10 years to a wide variety of organizations. In 2017, the Foundation awarded one-time impact grants totaling $750,000 to five legal aid organizations in Washington, DC, Baltimore, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. Established in 1983, the Foundation supports an expansive range of civic, cultural, and charitable endeavors, as well as public interest law and legal education. These include children's services and funding for disadvantaged families and individuals; homeless shelters and food programs; community organizations, hospitals, hospices, and local chapters of national health organizations; and educational, artistic, and cultural events and organizations. The Foundation is funded by the partners of Venable LLP. For decades, the Foundation was led by former Venable Chair and former Attorney General of the United States Benjamin R. Civiletti. His leadership and stewardship of the Foundation set the standard for Venable's long tradition of unparalleled giving.