The Sunrise of Pasco Domestic and Sexual Violence Center is one of three charitable organizations locally up for a chance to receive a $350,000 grant from the Humana Foundation.
Online votes for the three nominees will count toward 20 percent of the group’s total score, and will be incorporated into the final round of the judging process, the Humana Foundation said in a release. A panel of community leaders will narrow the field of finalists down to one winning organization in each region.
Sunrise will compete with the Pinellas Education Foundation and youth advocacy group Starting Right, Now. Votes are being accepted right now by clicking here.
Sunrise became a safe haven for women and children feeling abuse more than three decades ago, according to the group’s profile on the Humana Foundation voting page. It has since grown into an organization with 34 employees and 160 volunteers, all working to help the men, women and children in the community be free from abuse.
Sunrise maintains a 40-bed emergency shelter to provide a safe environment for women and children in crisis to heal, operate a 24-hour confidential hotline to assist in safety planning, provide free counseling services for survivors of domestic and sexual assault, offer legal advocacy and personalized service plans to aid survivors in their transition to independence and safety, and foster a culture of non-violence, among other things.
All programs at Sunrise are offered free of charge
If Sunrise were to win the award, the organization would expand its health and wellness opportunities to the families it serves. That include a fitness track for women and children living in the shelter, developmentally appropriate play areas designed for the children at the shelter, and a wellness mentorship program.
