Historical: FORGE wins Office on Violence Against Women to provide services to underserved trans populations. (2015)
CONTACT INFORMATION: michael munson, Executive Director. FORGE. PO Box 1272, Milwaukee, WI 53201. www.forge-forward.org | 414-559-2123
September 9, 2015
Recognizing that over half of transgender people are survivors of sexual assault, the federal government’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) has recommitted to providing direct services and building a robust bank of publications and resources specifically designed for transgender survivors by awarding FORGE, Inc., another 3-year, $288,750 grant under its Grants for Outreach and Services to Underserved Populations program.
This is the third such multi-year, direct services grant FORGE has been awarded from OVW, and complements its other federally-funded training and technical assistance services aimed at helping service providers better meet the needs of transgender, gender non-conforming, gender non-binary individuals and loved ones who are victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
The new grant will fund the continued growth and display of the Espavo Project, a photo narrative project for transgender, gender non-conforming individuals and loved ones who have experienced sexual violence, highlighting their resiliency, hope and healing. It will also underwrite creation of social media campaigns and development of new resources to support transgender survivors heal and increase the transgender community’s awareness of sexual assault. The new resources will be added to an existing collection of self-help publications including, “Let’s Talk about It! A Transgender Survivor’s Guide to Accessing Therapy,” “A Self Help Guide to Healing and Understanding,” “A Guide for Partners and Loved Ones of Trans Sexual Violence Survivors,” and “A Guide for Support Group Facilitators.”[1]
FORGE, headquartered in Milwaukee, is a national, 21-year-old organization committed to improving the lives of transgender individuals and loved ones by building strong connections, providing resources, and empowering personal growth. It has focused specifically on transgender, gender non-conforming, and gender non-binary survivors of sexual assault since 2004, and has been funded by the Office on Violence Against Women since 2009. For more information on its services, publications, or projects, please consult www.forge-forward.org.
[1] Some publications are still in the approval process.
Download a printable PDF:Press Release: Underserved Grant Award