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TAMPA, FL – Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that his office has awarded more than $633,000 in grants to six Hillsborough County programs that provide victims services in the county. The funds, provided through the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), will provide direct services to victims of crime, from counseling to assistance with court appearances.

“Victims and families of crime depend on the support of their communities, and often the support of programs that specialize in providing victim services,” said Attorney General McCollum. “These grants will provide essential funding to programs to create lifelines of hope, and help.”

The Hillsborough Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) received over $43,000 for a program that provides continued support and assistance, including court accompaniment at DUI cases, to DUI victims and their families. The Life Center of the Sun Coast, Inc. provides trauma and bereavement counseling to individuals and families affected by traumatic events and received over $54,000 to fund these services.

“This funding is essential for us to serve our community, and we thank Attorney General McCollum for his ongoing commitment to serving victims of crime,” said Becky Gage, a victim advocate with MADD’s Hillsborough Chapter. “With these funds, we can carry out our mission in Hillsborough County.”

Another grant recipient is the Spring of Tampa Bay, the Tampa Bay area’s certified domestic violence center, which provides a safe environment for victims of domestic violence and their children 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Spring received over $143,000 to fund its programs. The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, Inc. also received over $276,000 to fund hotline crisis services, which include information and referral, therapy, support groups and follow-up contact.

Legal and law enforcement-based services can also be important assets to victims of crime. The Bay Area Legal Services received a total of over $80,000 to fund attorneys who provide emergency legal services to domestic violence victims in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. Also funded by the grants was the University of South Florida’s Child Protection Team, which provides services to child victims of sexual abuse who are abused by a non-caregiver or another child. These services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, which is a crucial element in assisting a child victim and his or her family through the healing process. The team received over $120,000 in funding.