TOPEKA – A Hays organization has been awarded more than $77,000 in grants to provide services for victims of crime, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced in a news release Monday.

Options: Domestic and Sexual Violence Services, Inc., was awarded grants to support the following programs:

• $32,499 to provide survivor-centered services to those experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking or trafficking by providing services directly to survivors in their communities.
• $45,000 to strengthen organizational activities including direct services programming and services, and to ensure adequate financial resources that result in a stable environment.

“Organizations across Kansas do great work every day to support victims of crime,” Schmidt said. “We are proud to support these organizations through the victims services grant programs.”

The awards were made from the Protection from Abuse Fund and the State Crime Victims’ Assistance Fund. The Protection from Abuse Fund is funded by State General Fund appropriations, marriage license fees, county court costs and municipal court assessments. The State Crime Victims’ Assistance Fund is funded though the remittance of applicable fines, penalties and forfeitures from clerks of the district courts.

This year, the attorney general’s office awarded more than $2.5 million in grants to local and state crime victim assistance organizations. More information on the grant programs and the full list of award recipients is available on the attorney general’s website at www.ag.ks.gov.