Image: Kristen Perry, director of Abby’s House

MONMOUTH, Ore. – Western Oregon University was recently awarded a substantial three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women, totaling $396,766. This grant is poised to catalyze a transformative initiative to enhance awareness and foster essential training on the critical issues of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking among Western students.

The grant will fund projects through Abby’s House, which provides the campus community with educational opportunities, resources, and referral services designed to promote equity and non-violence. The projects are set to invigorate and fortify Western’s Wolves Against Interpersonal Violence Committee (WAIV), which has long championed the cause of addressing these pressing societal issues. The committee’s strategic plan will be reinvigorated, synergizing their multifaceted endeavors, while forging an array of external partnerships to create a coordinated community response team. This initiative will play a pivotal role in expanding prevention education, with a particular emphasis on tailoring programs to meet the unique needs of the LGBTQ+ community.

The grant will also fund a full-time coordinator who will supervise many areas of this project, co-chair the WAIV committee, and oversee prevention for the campus community.

“We are thrilled to seize this incredible opportunity to further our commitment to sexual violence prevention on campus and to appoint a dedicated staff member who will spearhead this project,” exclaimed Kristen Perry, director of Abby’s House and principal investigator for this grant. “We are confident that this endeavor will usher in a new era of possibilities for our campus, allowing us to infuse creativity into our work.” Perry also extends her appreciation to Malissa Larson, dean of students for her unwavering support and Western’s Sponsored Projects Office for their management of the grant process.

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About Abby’s House, Center for Equity & Gender Justice at Western Oregon University

The mission of Abby’s House is to provide the campus community with educational opportunities, resources, and referral services designed to promote equity and non-violence. We embrace a feminist model that empowers all people to actively stand against all forms of violence and oppression while providing safety, support, and space for healing to individuals who experience disruptions in their well-being.