BEDFORD – During Tuesday’s meeting, members of the Lawrence County Council approved a request from Lawrence County Community Corrections Director Joe Dibert for $5,000 to apply for a grant through the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program.
The grant, which the council has approved for the past two years, along with contributions of $19,600 from Hoosier Uplands have helped Dibert and the Lawrence County Coalition Against Domestic Violence spread awareness of the issue, as well as provide services such as counseling and education to victims across the county, he said.
“It’s been a blessing to 28 women in this community over the last two years to get help when they didn’t have insurance or services or anything like that,” Dibert told the council regarding the help of Hoosier Uplands.
He went on to explain the aim of the program further, saying it’s meant to help victims as quickly as possible, removing any potential barriers that may exist.
“The purpose was to cut completely all the red tape out that the system generally creates, in order for someone just to say ‘I need help’. Yes, go get to help. We’ll take care of it. I’m extremely proud of that, and having that partnership but we need to do more,” he said.
He said the coalition has expanded from five original members to now 28 who span different backgrounds and areas of expertise, with the ultimate goal being to combine their knowledge to help expand the program’s impact within the community.
“We’ve got the right people at the table is what I’m telling you and they’re excited, they want to be a part of this on a topic that’s not exciting. I get excited about this stuff because it’s something that we can do differently and help people in this community instead of just turning a blind guy, which we have done for so long,” Dibert said. “No one wants to talk about this. Anytime I get a chance to talk about it, I’m talking about it because it’s true. We’ve got people out there that need help and we have fortunate people like us to help them.”
One aim he said the coalition has set is to find a shelter to provide a safe environment for victims.
“I’ve talked to the mayor, I’m making calls and stuff like that. I ask you, folks, if you see something like that, that might be doable for us to invest in as a coalition, I’ve got the right people at the table that can find the money to make this stuff happen,” he told the council.
Anyone who is dealing with a domestic violence situation can dial 211 to find available resources.
