Shelter receives $20,000 grant

The Coastal Women’s Shelter received a $20,000 grant from the Mary Kay Foundation Tuesday.

“The partnership the shelter and Mary Kay Foundation has will provide counseling services for those needing the service,” said Martha Hardison, executive director of the Coastal Women’s Shelter.

The shelter serves Craven, Pamlico and Jones counties. It offers court advocacy, a safe house staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and a crisis hotline. Other services include clothes for adults and children and small appliances and housewares for those setting up a home.

The crisis hotline took 6,059 calls last year. More than 150 domestic-violence victims and children were served by the safe house last year.

The grant was awarded to only three other domestic violence shelters in North Carolina. The Coastal Women’s Shelter wrote the grant application.

A check presentation was set for Tuesday evening at the New Bern Chamber of Commerce. Representatives slated to attend from Mary Kay were Mary Ann LeRay, district sales manager and Nancy LaPlante of Mary Kay.