Braveheart receives grant to help child abuse victims receive services

Braveheart Children’s Advocacy Center in Princeton was awarded a $1,500 Starved Rock Country Community Foundation community grant to help it serve victims of child abuse and their families.

The grant will allow Braveheart to purchase gas cards for victims’ families from Bureau, Putnam and Marshall counties, according to a news release. Braveheart supports victims of child abuse ages 3 to 17 through prevention, intervention and advocacy.

“Transportation has emerged as a critical barrier for many of the families we serve, particularly those living in rural areas, where public transit is nonexistent,” Braveheart Executive Director Jackie Diediker said in the release. “With rising fuel prices and financial constraints, some families struggle to afford the cost of traveling to our center for essential services. This has led to missed appointments, delays in treatment, and prolonged trauma for the children who need our care the most.”

Braveheart estimates that it can assist 50 to 75 families with the $1,500 grant.

The Starved Rock Country Community Foundation previously granted the organization $1,500 in January 2024 for “Calm and Care Bags,” and the Women Inspired Network, a component fund of SRCCF, granted Braveheart $3,000 in December for its resource library.

For information about the foundation, visit srccf.org, call 815-252-2906 or stop in the office at 116 W. Lafayette St., Suite 2, Ottawa.