VENTURA : Group Gets Grant to Aid Women’s Shelter

The Ventura County Coalition Against Household Violence has received a $2,000 grant, which will be used to provide tricycles, a new sandbox and a number of quality toys for a shelter for battered women and their children.

The shelter is licensed to provide temporary housing for up to 17 women and children at any one time. Last year, the shelter served the needs of 80 women and 120 children, said Jamie Leigh, director of the coalition, which is based in Ventura and serves the entire county.

Children of battered women are often much rougher on toys due to the high levels of anxiety and frustration that accompany domestic violence, Leigh said, making extra-sturdy, high-quality toys a necessity.

The coalition, which was founded in 1976, is a nonprofit organization associated with the United Way Foundation. A thrift shop in Ventura, run by the coalition, provides about 40% of its $200,000 annual budget. In addition, the thrift shop also donates basic household goods to battered women seeking to establish new homes for themselves. The grant was provided by Target Stores.

Other programs sponsored by the coalition include a 24-hour hot line, counseling services for victims of violence and an educational outreach to the general public.