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Helping Outreach Programs to Expand II (HOPE II)

Faith-based and/or community-based organizations have a long history of helping victims. More often than not, victims seek the comfort, guidance, and assistance of faith- and/or community-based organizations because these organizations are trusted members of the community. To promote greater participation of faith- and/or community-based organizations in criminal justice programs that are supported by the Department of Justice, and to increase the development and capacity of faith- and community-based organizations' response to underserved victims in high-crime urban areas, OVC has allocated $3 million to the Helping Outreach Programs to Expand II (HOPE II) Grant Program.

OVC, through a cooperative agreement with the Maryland Crime Victims' Resource Center, Inc. (MCVRC), is currently soliciting proposals from faith-based and/or community-based organizations serving underserved crime victims to establish 48 subgrantee sites in urban, high-crime areas across the United States. MCVRC will award each of the selected sites up to $50,000. Activities that will be supported include:

  • Recruitment and use of volunteers to provide services to victims of crime (e.g., the training of victim advocates), and management of volunteers and nongovernmental support.

  • Provision of services to victims (e.g., transportation to and from criminal justice proceedings and advocacy before the criminal justice system).

  • Promotion within the community served of a coordinated public and private sector effort to aid victims (e.g., program literature, newsletters, and victim outreach efforts).

  • Assistance for victims in obtaining available victim compensation benefits through state or local government agencies.

MCVRC will help subgrantees develop a network linking faith- and community-based organizations to victim assistance communities. Critical gaps in services will be addressed and existing resources and collaborations strengthened to improve communities' response to victims. For more information, contact Julie Gilbert Rosicky at 301-952-1406 or by e-mail at julie@mdcrimevictims.org. Application kits are available at www.mdcrimevictims.org.

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) will conduct a 2-year evaluation of the HOPE II program to independently assess the extent to which the HOPE II program goals and objectives are being achieved. For more information, see the NIJ solicitation.

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