Los Angeles: The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has recommitted funding for the Stop the Hate program to support direct services to victims of hate and their families and to provide prevention and intervention services against and in response to hate.
AAPI Equity Alliance (AAPI Equity) is supporting 42 organizations in the Los Angeles County region who received $24 million over two years, as part of the larger statewide grant of $91.4 million , to carry out this critical work. This new investment follows $44.6 million previously provided for anti-hate programs.
“California's renewal of the Stop the Hate funding and its expansion beyond the Asian American community to include Black, Latino, LGBTQIA+, and Pacific Islander communities is a long overdue investment in our state's diverse communities,” said Manjusha P. Kulkarni, Executive Director of AAPI Equity. “This grant ensures that we can continue to respond effectively to the needs of historically underserved populations and end hate, while building cross-community solidarity and promoting empathy across the diverse region of Los Angeles.”
With additional funding support, the Los Angeles County cohort of grantees expands from 24 organizations to 42 organizations — 20 of which are AAPI Equity Alliance members. In the first year of the grant, the Stop the Hate program included activities and services such as legal services, resource navigation, and case management; mental health and wellness support services; educational workshops and training; youth development and senior safety; public art and cultural festivals; and cross racial alliance building and restorative justice work. In one case, the Korean American Federation of Los Angeles (KAFLA) assisted an elderly, monolingual woman navigate and obtain government resources, including CalVCB benefits, after being physically assaulted in Koreatown. As the second year begins, the program hopes to reach a wider array of communities and provide deeper services to address the rising tide of hate.
These grantee organizations share a commitment to ending hate and violence and fighting inequities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic through culturally competent and responsive services and programs, Kulkarni explained.
“The Stop the Hate funding acknowledges all the significant work of the grantees to date and provides confidence that we can affect positive change,” she said. “We are committed to continue the work we started and build safer and healthy communities for everyone.” |
