Caring Unlimited, Grant Partners, Expanding Services For Youth
York County’s Domestic Violence Resource Center, was recently awarded a multi-year grant from the US Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women to expand and improve violence prevention services for youth throughout York County, Maine; one of just 16 such grants awarded nationwide.
Caring Unlimited, along with grant partner, Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine (SARSSM), is set to begin implementing expanded services for youth based on the results of an extensive community needs assessment conducted in the initial planning stage of the multi-year grant.
The new initiatives, including a youth advisory board and youth-focused coordinated community response team, aim to expand youth involvement in the programs and services available to them, improve accessibility of services to marginalized youth, and increase collaboration among youth-serving agencies throughout York County.
According to Amy Genest, Caring Unlimited’s Education and Prevention Program Coordinator, “The results of the needs assessment clearly show that while there are strong programs already working in York County, like Caring Unlimited and SARSSM, we can improve services overall by working together and bringing other agencies into our work. Convening a Coordinated Community Response team made up of youth-serving organizations will enable us to collaborate and better serve youth in our community.”
Caring Unlimited’s Prevention Education program offers youth-focused education throughout York County, as well as community-based education, training, and consultation including professional development and training. Administrators at youth-serving agencies throughout York County who are interested in learning more or collaborating on these new initiatives should contact Amy Genest at 207-490-3227 x110, or agenest@caring-unlimited.org.