Catholic Charities of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties

Case Management for Domestic Violence Families in the High

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – Catholic Charities San Bernardino/ Riverside is proud to announce that the Verizon Foundation has generously committed $24,500.00 towards helping families suffering from domestic violence. Working over a one-year grant period, one case manager funded by the Verizon Foundation will serve an additional 50 families with young children in 2009/2010.

Domestic violence is particularly prevalent when a family is faced with personal emergencies such as homelessness, hunger, foreclosure. The Northern and Central High Desert Region that this grant encompasses has some of the highest unemployment rates in the county. Verizon will help Catholic Charities expand its Family & Community Services case management staff in the High Desert area (including Apple Valley, Hesperia, Adelanto, Barstow) typically remote, underserved areas of the High Desert.

“The ultimate goal of the Domestic Violence program is to stabilize an increased number of women and children in crisis by providing on-going, intense case management, and referrals to safe, stable and confidential housing,” said Ken F. Sawa, Executive Director of Catholic Charities.
The case managers act as counselors for the women they serve, providing a vast array of information, community connections, housing referrals, and other services that help mothers and their children overcome a current crisis and avoid serious problems altogether in the future”.

According to Beverly Earl, the coordinator of the effort, “We take a grassroots, holistic approach to helping individuals and families in crisis. Our case managers set aside 3 hours each week to devote to each client.”