STEP2, a local non-profit in Reno, Nevada, received a $22,500 Community Fund grant from the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada.
STEP2 provides compassionate, flexible, individualized treatment programs for chemically dependent women in a safe environment, respecting the client and her personal needs while utilizing current addiction and mental health protocols. Approximately 97% of the women who seek services through STEP2 report being the victims of domestic and/or sexual violence. STEP2 will use the funding received from the Community Foundation to provide shelter, group and individual counseling and case management to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault/trauma who present with a primary substance use disorder.
“Now, more than ever, in the wake of a global pandemic, isolation and a decreased accessibility to resources has created a growing crisis in the community,” said Mari Hutchinson, Chief Executive Officer at STEP2. “A unique hardship faced by the specific victims served by STEP2 is that many have been turned away from or asked to leave traditional domestic violence shelters because of their substance use disorder. This funding will be instrumental to our mission of supporting women as they do the hard work needed to break the cycle of addiction and violence in their family.”
STEP2 was established in 1986 as the first substance use disorder treatment facility in Nevada to offer a safe place for women to re-unify with their children. Approximately 200 women seek treatment at STEP2 each year. Treatment focuses on empowering each client to succeed and become a productive member of society while supporting and encouraging her recovery. The scope of services offered, length of program and community partnerships have allowed STEP2 to achieve a higher than national average success rate. When a woman is ready to leave STEP2, she is clean and sober, gainfully employed, and she has learned life skills that will allow her to break free from patterns and environments that perpetuated addiction to create and maintain a better life for herself and her children.
For additional information about STEP2 and ways to support visit STEP2Reno.org.
About the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada
The Community Foundation of Northern Nevada strengthens our region through philanthropy and leadership by connecting people who care with causes that matter. For more information on the Community Fund grants visit: nevadafund.org.
