MOBILE, Alabama --- The Lighthouse has received $80,058 grant from The Community Foundation of South Alabama to address the unmet needs of individuals, families, and children significantly affected by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and its aftermath. The grant was made possible by a contribution received from the Fund for Gulf Communities, a program of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

The Fund for Gulf Communities was created through an anonymous donation to Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors to enhance the resiliency of diverse communities along the Gulf Coast. The Fund will achieve this goal by working with nonprofit organizations, such as The Community Foundation of South Alabama, that have strong ties to community-based organizations providing direct services to people in need.

In recent months The Lighthouse has experienced a sizable increase in demand for services. Many individuals served indicate being effected by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. They experience increased stress at home due to unemployment and underemployment. The implications of these changes are far-reaching, and it is not by coincidence that reported domestic violence rates increase in the aftermath of a man-made disaster.

The Lighthouse is utilizing this grant from The Community Foundation of South Alabama's Gulf Communities Initiative to offer viable options to victims of domestic violence. We will be providing subsidized child care and gas vouchers to victims of domestic violence in search of employment.

This is called our Job Search Assistance Program. For those with limited job skills we will offer the Job Readiness Program. This program allows victims of domestic violence affected by the oil spill to attend a

certification program, thereby improving their employability.

These supportive services allow victims of domestic violence to explore options and gain autonomy while maintaining an abuse-free environment for themselves and their children.

The Lighthouse of Baldwin County, based in Robertsdale, is committed to providing support, preventing violence and promoting justice for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

The Lighthouse opened its doors in 1994 and offers a full range of services including a 24-hour crisis line, individual and group counseling, case management, court advocacy services, transitional housing, advocacy for children, prevention education, and safe and secure shelter for those in danger who have no where else to go.

The Lighthouse is a non-discriminatory, equal opportunity agency, partially supported by the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, Victims of Crime Act, Violence Against Women Act, Department of Public Health, U.S. Department of Housing and Development, and the Baldwin County United Way. The Lighthouse is a member of the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Alabama Coalition Against Sexual Violence.

For more information contact Joanne Sheils, 251-947-3796 or email jsheils@gulftel.com.

The Community Foundation of South Alabama is a nonprofit foundation that plays a key role in meeting the needs of South Alabama through leadership and grants. More than $60 million in grants have been awarded since 1976 by the Foundation to nonprofit organizations to support programs that make life better in our community. The Community Foundation builds lasting endowments to ensure grants are available to support the community forever.

For more information visit www.CommunityEndowment.com.