Puerto Rico Domestic Violence Shelter Receives Part of a $3 Million Grant to Help Combat Domestic Violence

Casa de la Bondad Inc., a domestic violence shelter in Humacao, Puerto Rico, is receiving an influx of
badly-needed cash, thanks to the foundation started by the late Mary Kay Ash. The Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation (MKACF) is also awarding grants to domestic violence shelters in all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The $3 million in grants — 150 in all — will be used for programs aimed at curbing domestic violence, and to help the shelters keep their doors open during the current economic downturn. In a time when expenses are up and donations are down, many shelters risk losing staff or even closing altogether.

“This grant from the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation comes at an important time because statistics show the rates of domestic violence are increasing in Puerto Rico and we have more women seeking help at our shelter,” said Juanita Cardez, executive director of Casa de la Bondad Inc. “We’re going to use the grant for emergency medicine and to make sure there are recreational activities so the women can do things with their children in a safe environment.”

Domestic Violence in Puerto Rico
Oficina de la Procuradora de Mujeres reports that every day 52 Puerto Rican women fall victim to domestic violence and that it is also a major cause of death. With 45 percent of Puerto Rico’s inhabitants living at or below the poverty line and as many as 100,000 homeless, it is especially hard to escape domestic violence. According to the National Resource Center on domestic violence, this high rate of poverty creates a real barrier to ending domestic violence in Puerto Rico. Other Puerto Rico domestic violence statistics from the resource center include:

– 78 percent of domestic violence incidents take place in the victim’s
home

– In 2007, more than 17,000 incidents of domestic violence occurred

– Every year, dozens of women are killed as a result of domestic violence

Mary Kay Commitment
“The Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation is a leader in supporting programs to help women survive violent relationships and re-establish their lives,” said Anne Crews, member of the MKACF Board of Directors and vice president of Mary Kay Inc. “Shelters need our help, especially now, because they are the front-line resource for battered women and their children, whose needs are great.”

Mary Kay has long recognized the importance of educating women about domestic violence and keeping them safe from it. Mary Kay Inc. provides materials on domestic violence awareness and prevention to its independent sales force which exceeds 1.8 million worldwide. MKACF funds include those contributed by thousands of Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants and by the Foundation’s title sponsor, Mary Kay Inc.

About MKACF:
The Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation was created in 1996 and its mission is two-fold: to fund research of cancers affecting women and help prevent domestic violence while raising awareness of the issue. Since the Foundation’s inception, it has awarded nearly $18 million to shelters and programs addressing domestic violence and $10.8 million to cancer researchers and related causes throughout the United States. To learn more about the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation, log on to www.mkacf.org or call
1-877-MKCARES (652-2737). “

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