ELLSWORTH – The Next Step Domestic Violence Project of Hancock County recently was awarded a $1,000 grant from the Maine State Trooper’s Foundation and a $9,000 grant from the Maine Women’s Fund.

The Maine State Trooper’s grant will go to maintaining the Management Council, a group of law enforcement and related agencies, along with Next Step staff, dedicated to increasing the safety of the victims and the accountability of the perpetrators of domestic violence.

The Maine Women’s Fund grant is a general support grant that will help sustain Next Step’s programs, which include a 24-hour hot line, walk-in counseling, safe homes, court advocacy and educational programs.

Next Step, the only domestic violence project in Hancock County, started in 1993. It is a nonprofit organization devoted to serving the needs of people affected by domestic violence, as well as striving to prevent domestic violence through education and social awareness.