Blossom Project

In August 2003, NWLS  was awarded $450,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to continue 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 24-month grant enabled NWLS to employ five attorneys dedicated solely to the goals of the project.

The goals of the Legal Assistance for Victims Grant Program, or "Blossom Project," are quite clear -- to help victims of domestic violence sever the ties that bind them to abusers. We do this by providing the full range of legal assistance in all types of civil cases that victims encounter in their lives.

Clients are referred into the new program by the domestic violence advocacy organizations within the six counties 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).

Clients of the Blossom Project are victims of domestic violence 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. Community legal education is 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 threatens their lives, and to move beyond the cycle of domestic abuse that hinders their growth.

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