The LGBTQ Center of Long Beach and Interval House Crisis Shelters & Centers for Victims of Domestic Violence have been awarded a highly competitive grant from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to expand domestic violence education, outreach and support within the LGBTQ community, according to an announcement sent out Wednesday.
According to the release, the three-year grant is one of only three awarded in the State of California by Cal OES.
“We are absolutely thrilled to receive vital funding to expand domestic violence resources and services in the LGBTQ community,” said Porter Gilberg, The Center’s executive director, in a statement. “With this funding we have one more tool to provide support to some of the most marginalized folks in our community.”
According to the release, the funding will better enable The Center to serve domestic violence victims within the LGBTQ community through increased support and education services in partnership with Interval House, recognized for working with culturally underserved communities.
The project will specialize in serving some of the most difficult to reach and vulnerable populations, including LGBTQ people of color, immigrants and men. According to The Center, recent studies indicate the three groups often face the most difficult obstacles to receiving comprehensive domestic violence support services.
The partnership between The Center and Interval House stretches past three decades. The nearly $500,000 in funding over a three-year period will provide an unprecedented level of care to these victims seeking support in Long Beach.
“Interval House has always been a proud partner and supporter of The Center, and we are excited for this opportunity for The Center to strengthen its capacity to assist domestic violence victims in the LGBTQ community,” said Interval House Executive Director Carol Williams in a statement.
She added that Interval House is looking forward to continuing their partnership with The Center to ensure that those who need domestic violence services will be able to access them there.
According to the release, The Center today serves more than 25,000 individuals annually through their array of programs and services, while it has stood as the vital core for the LGBTQ community in Greater Long Beach since 1977.
Interval House is a nationally recognized program that provides award-winning, comprehensive domestic violence prevention and intervention services, also in Greater Long Beach, and its neighboring communities since 1979.
The Cal OES grant is the partnership’s second such grant from the State given to The Center and Interval House to increase access to domestic violence services for LGBTQ victims. According to the announcement, the project will serve all LGBTQ victims, while specializing in serving persons of color and those from immigrant communities that often face additional cultural and linguistic barriers to access.