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Congressman Faleomavaega announced today that the Department of
Justice’s Office of Justice Programs has awarded the U’una’i Legal
Services Corporation in American Samoa a $370,220.00 grant to provide
direct legal services to victims of domestic violence in American
Samoa. The grant is made under the DOJ’s Domestic Violence Victims’
Legal Assistance Program which recognizes that domestic violence throws
lives into chaos and that long-term assistance is needed for women to
secure lives that are free of violence and its effects. The grant
also represents the second half of a three-year grant period that will end
December 30, 2001.
“The intent of the program is to strengthen civil legal assistance
provided to battered women through innovative, collaborative projects that
include legal clinics, legal aid or legal services programs, shelters for
battered women, Bar associations and other entities,” Congressman
Faleomavaega said. “Under this grant, the services provided by the
U’una’i Legal Services are subsidized by the Federal government and I hope
that our people will take full advantage of them,” Faleomavaega continued.
Terms of the grant indicate that the U’una’i Legal Services
Corporation (ULSC) will use the funds to hire additional staff; provide
information to the public about the ULSC services through local media and
community service organizations; provide presentations to local service,
educational, village, church, and sports organizations; publish and
distribute bi-lingual brochures describing the ULSC and outlining the
legal rights of victims; and organizing formal seminars through the
American Samoa Bar Association.
“I am very pleased with the success of the U’una’i Legal Services
Corporation in obtaining more federal funding so it could provide this
type of assistance to our people in American Samoa,” Congressman
Faleomavaega said. “Obviously, the ULSC has satisfied the mid-term
review by the DOJ as indicated by the release of this grant and I
congratulate Ms. Virginia Sudbury and Mr. Scott Mc Phee for doing a great
job.” |
![[106th Congress]](H_Uunai_legal_grant_080300_files/106.jpg)
