McHenry County group fighting domestic violence gets grant

Turning Point, McHenry County's advocate for victims of domestic violence, has been chosen to receive one of 150 grants awarded by a leading national anti-domestic violence organization, the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation. The grant will be used to fund the agency's domestic violence shelter, which opened in 2006.

As Domestic Violence Awareness month begins, shelters nation wide are feeling the impact of a weak economy. According to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, Shelter donations are down, but the need for services is increasing. To help make sure needs are met, the foundation started by the late Mary Kay Ash is donating a total of $3 million in grants to shelters in all 50 states.

"Turning Point has helped so many women and their families in the McHenry County area," said Jennifer Cook, MKACF board member. "We know they will use these funds to benefit even more domestic violence survivors and their children."

"Mary Kay Ash wanted her foundation to help enrich women's lives. All the tragic stories and statistics we hard about domestic violence encourage us to do our part. WE know Turning Point will use these funds to stop domestic violence and provide help and hope to battered women and children in McHenry County."

The Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation was created in 1996 and its mission is twofold - to fund research of cancers affecting women and to help prevent domestic violence and raise awareness of the issue. Since the foundation's inception, it has awarded nearly $18 Million to domestic violence agencies. To learn more about the MKACR, go to Web site MKACF.org.