OceanFirst Awards $10,000 to 180 Turning Lives Around for Safe House

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A $10,000 grant has been awarded to 180 Turning Lives Around, Inc. by the OceanFirst Foundation of Toms River to assist in building a new emergency safe house for clients and their families.
180 is Monmouth County’s sole organization for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. The grant will support 180’s efforts to build a larger, more innovative domestic violence emergency shelter that will allow 180 to offer a broader scope of services to a greater number of victims. Unfortunately, over the past several years 180 had to turn away more than 400 families because there was not have enough room to accommodate them. The expansion of 180’s Safe House will provide help for an additional 120 victims each year.
There is a growing need for a new domestic violence shelter in Monmouth County. For each of the last five years, New Jersey Uniform Crime Reports have shown Monmouth County to have the second or third highest number of domestic violence incidences out of the state’s 21 counties, with as many as 5,600 Monmouth County reports in a given year.
At 17,000 square feet, the new shelter will double 180’s bed capacity; house adult male victims; accommodate those with physical disabilities; and offer enough space to include special features like a creative arts therapy studio, a learning center with computer access, and a teen recreational area.
“We are so grateful to the OceanFirst Foundation for this generous grant for our new emergency Safe House. This support will help hundreds of families in Monmouth County who are running for their lives find safety and the resources to begin their journey of healing,” said Anna Diaz-White, executive director of 180 Turning Lives Around.
Since its founding in 1902, OceanFirst has built a reputation and legacy as a good neighbor and responsible corporate citizen. The bank’s strong commitment to helping families, organizations, schools and communities throughout Central New Jersey meet their financial needs has spanned several generations, reaching new heights in 1996 with the creation of OceanFirst Foundation.
The foundation provides grants to organizations that meet community needs within the OceanFirst market area. Since its inception, OceanFirst Foundation has contributed more than $25 million to more than 600 local charities and schools in Ocean, Monmouth and Middlesex counties.
180 Turning Lives Around, Inc. has been serving clients in Monmouth County since 1976. The private nonprofit organization is dedicated to ending domestic and sexual violence in the community. 180’s caring staff provides immediate and long-term support in assisting clients with the trauma they have experienced, while supporting them in obtaining services and making decisions that will turn their lives around.