Program Description

Program/Practice Description: REAP was developed in 2001 as an innovative way to serve victims of domestic violence by coupling services with economic security and financial literacy programs. ROW developed a comprehensive curriculum for financial education for victims of domestic violence.

The program includes a series of workshops for women, running continuously throughout the year, with 4 to 10 women per class. All ROW programs have open enrollment and anyone can participate in the full range of programs. Participants are referred to ROW through other community-based organizations, community colleges, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) offices, and word of mouth. REAP currently counts toward the work participation requirements for TANF clients. Following a strengths-based curriculum, participants attend workshops on a variety of topics, including money and power, creating a cost of living plan, understanding credit, and saving and investing. During the program, participants create an Economic Action Plan with the help of ROW staff. Additionally, participants have access to individual economic advocacy.

After completing the REAP curriculum, low-income battered women have the opportunity to apply for an Individual Development Account (IDA). IDAs help women save for assets such as home ownership, career-enhancing education, automobiles, starting a small business, home repairs, and safety needs. The IDA program provides a one-to-one match if participants qualify at 80 percent of the Federal poverty level, and a two-to-one match if the person is at 200 percent of the poverty level. Participants are eligible to participate in the IDA program for two and a half years. All ROW program participants have access to onsite childcare provided by ROW staff in their office. The office is located in downtown St. Louis with access to the bus line and Metrolink trains; programs often are carried out in the surrounding community to increase access to ROW programs.

Innovations and Results: Since 2000, ROW has spearheaded a consortium of 11 domestic violence agencies and four homeless shelter programs to address economic issues facing battered women. Through this collaboration, REAP was developed and provides critical economic empowerment services to women directly, including a comprehensive financial literacy curriculum and IDAs. In addition, REAP offers training and consultation to staff within other agencies to provide knowledge and skills needed to increase the economic empowerment of low-income battered women.

In 2004, the REAP Training Institute was formed to provide domestic violence advocates with the knowledge and skills needed to increase economic empowerment of women experiencing intimate partner violence. Experienced REAP advocates skilled in domestic violence and financial advocacy now provide intensive training to advocates across the United States at State conferences and coalitions.

The goal of the REAP Training Institute is to prepare advocates to effectively and safely help women work toward economic empowerment. The REAP Training Institute provides facilitator training for individuals who want to implement the REAP program in other areas of the country. The REAP Training Institute has provided training to more than 500 advocates across the country.

Funding: REAP originally was funded through seed money from partner agencies and the National Endowment for Financial Education. Since its inception, REAP has been funded through contributions from partner agencies, an Assets for Independence grant through the Office of Community Services, foundation grants, and the United Way of Greater St. Louis.

Other ROW Programs:

Family Strengths Program – Family Strengths is a 6-week program utilizing an empowerment model that focuses on personal and family development, parenting skills, economic proficiency, and domestic violence education. The program includes a series of workshops for women including Self Esteem, Self Awareness, Self Management, Effective Communications, and Managing Stress.

Domestic Violence Response Program – The Domestic Violence Response Program is funded through HUD to provide domestic violence counseling for women and their children in homeless shelters.