On February 1, 2018 the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (CDVSA) Board of Directors voted unanimously to support the Emmonak Women’s Shelter (EWS) with grant funding through the remainder of FY18. The Special Meeting and vote to provide emergency funding was the result of notification in late January that due to a lack of funds the Emmonak Women’s Shelter was closing; because of its unique location and high number of services provided, this closure created a critical gap in domestic violence and sexual assault (DV/SA) services in Emmonak and surrounding villages. The closure would put a critical strain on the resources of Tundra Women’s Coalition in Bethel, the only other shelter in the service area.

The CDVSA will work closely with both Tundra Women’s Coalition (TWC) and EWS to provide for a smooth process that will fund EWS through June 30, 2018. Emmonak Women’s Shelter is not currently a CDVSA-funded program

The EWS serves Emmonak and 13 surrounding villages. The Shelter includes three bedrooms, a children’s playroom with toys and books, and a common kitchen and living room area. The shelter was designed and decorated to look and feel like a Yup’ik home. Established in 1984, EWS provides a wide range of services including immediate safety (shelter), crisis intervention, children’s services, education and support to victims of domestic violence and/or sexual assault, and court accompaniment. EWS also provides comprehensive education and support service for local communities, schools, Tribal Councils, city governments and other human service providers EWS is the only shelter in Alaska that is in a village setting; providing support and services from a Yup’ik context and with staff who speak and understand the Native languages of the area.

Source: DPS[xyz-ihs snippet=”Adsense-responsive”]

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