October 16, 2007

Penquis recently received a grant of $254,700 from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women to support a transitional house in the Katahdin region for victims of domestic violence and victim/survivors of sexual assault, stalking and/or dating violence. Penquis applied for and accepted the grant on behalf of a group of Katahdin area stakeholders that has been working together for more than two years to address the needs of domestic violence victims.

The project was conceived and developed by a group of Katahdin area agencies, which consists of Katahdin Area Response Effort for Non-Violence; Katahdin Area Partnership; Millinocket Regional Hospital, Health Access Network; Rape Response Services; Spruce Run Association; Town of Millinocket; Millinocket Police Department; Millinocket Fire Department; Katahdin Region Higher Education Center; Millinocket School Department; Penquis; and Penquis Development, Inc. The house will consist of three housing units: one 1-bedroom apartment and two 2-3 bedroom apartments. A full-time case manager, employed by Spruce Run Association, will provide comprehensive support services to residents, helping them to increase their self-sufficiency and live safely and independently from their abusers. In general, residents may stay in the transitional house for up to 24 months.

“We are thrilled to expand the services available to victims of violence in the Katahdin region,” said Tamar Mathieu, Directing Attorney for the Penquis Law Project. Mathieu credits the community for the award. “This project would not have been possible without the tremendous amount of community support and involvement. I am delighted to have been part of this effort, and look forward to continuing to work with our community partners to implement the program.”

If you are experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, or stalking, please call the Penquis Law Project at 1-800-215-4942 ext. 671, Spruce Run Association at 1-800-863-9909 or 947-0496, or Rape Response Services at 1-800-310-0000.