The Lighthouse was awarded a grant from Gov. Kay Ivey to help assist domestic violence victims in Baldwin, Conecuh, Escambia and Monroe counties.

The Lighthouse, a nonprofit in Robertsdale, has served victims of domestic violence, their children and adult victims of sexual violence in Baldwin County and surrounding areas since 1994. It is just one of the three agencies to receive money in this grant from Ivey.

"It is critically important that everyone affected by domestic violence has access to timely, compassionate and professional assistance," Ivey said in a news release. "I commend these centers for their dedication to offering comprehensive support to victims and their families as they work to recover from abusive situations."

The Lighthouse Executive Director Rhyon Ervin said this $300,022 grant is beneficial for the nonprofit because it is one of the only ways they receive funding.

"The funding goes towards the operating of our shelter for domestic violence shelter facility and staffing that shelter facility and maintaining 24-hour crisis lands," Ervin said. "We have two separate lines, one for sexual assault one for domestic violence. We maintain both of those crisis lines and the staff that provides the services to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence."

Ervin added that the state of Alabama has experienced a lot of cuts from the federal level, so funds for nonprofits like The Lighthouse have gone down.

"We're very grateful to Gov. Ivey," Ervin said. "The fact that we've continued to be funded is extremely important to the services that we provide in the community."