Blossom Project

NWLS has been awarded an 18-month grant of $350,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to provide the broad range of civil legal services to victims of domestic violence in six counties in northwestern Pennsylvania, including Mercer, Crawford, Venango, McKean, Warren and Forest Counties.

The Legal Assistance for Victims Grant Program, or "Blossom Project" for short, enables Northwestern Legal Services to help victims of domestic violence break the ties that bind them to abusers. Clients are referred into the new program by the domestic violence advocacy centers within the six counties center served by the DOJ grant. These centers include Victim's Resource Center, Inc., (Venango and Crawford Counties); Women's Services, Inc., (Crawford County); AW/ARE Inc., (Mercer County); The Crisis Center, (Venango County); McKean County Victim's Resource Center, (McKean County); and A Safe Place (Warren and Forest Counties).

The Blossom Project provides legal representation in lengthy cases such as divorce proceedings to victims who do not have the financial resources to hire an attorney on their own. Income and asset eligibility has been set at 125 percent or less of the federal poverty guidelines, but it is important to keep in mind that the income and assets of the abuser are not included in this calculation. Legal advice and brief service are offered to all of the victims at the domestic violence centers, regardless of their financial resources.

By using legal aid to help break the ties that bind victims to their abusers, the Blossom Project hopes to enable victims, and their children, to stop the violence that permeates their lives, and to move beyond the cycle of domestic abuse that hinders their growth.

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