Newtown receives $7.1M federal grant to support Sandy Hook victims

Staff photos by Tom Kelly IVThe memorial setup near the Sandy Hook firehouse, and the entrance road to Sandy Hook Elementary School continues to grow as seen here early Thursday morning December 20, 2012. The sun rises above the trees, illuminating parts of the memorial, as Connecticut State Troopers block of the entrance road to the Sandy Hook Elementary School. less Staff photos by Tom Kelly IVThe memorial setup near the Sandy Hook firehouse, and the entrance road to Sandy Hook Elementary School continues to grow as seen here early Thursday morning December 20, 2012. The ... more Photo: © 2012 Tom Kelly IV Photo: © 2012 Tom Kelly IV Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Newtown receives $7.1M federal grant to support Sandy Hook victims 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

NEWTOWN >> The federal government has awarded a $7.1 million grant to support support victims, family members, first responders and community members who were affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-Conn.), U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced the grant Tuesday morning. Esty’s office said in a news release that the grant was given by the Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime.

The grant will support many services, including victim services, with a portion reseved for school safety efforts, and new mental health services, specifically for longer-term counseling for families, law enforcement and first responders. It will also be used to help reimburse people for ongoing services, according to the release.

“This grant will provide much-needed relief and support for Newtown to help this brave community heal,” said Esty, whose congressional district includes the town. “The community of Newtown has faced unimaginable tragedy with incredible strength and resiliency. Survivors, families, law enforcement, and first responders deserve sustained counseling services and enhanced school safety resources, and I’m grateful to the Department of Justice for responding with continued support.”

Since the shooting, Newtown Youth and Family Services has increased its staffing capacity and has seen the client population quadruple in the past 18 months, NYFS Executive Director Candice Bohr said in the release. She said they anticipate seeing a continued need in services and funding related to mental health.

Blumenthal said he would also continue to work with advocates and families of Sandy Hook Elementary School to change the nation’s “deeply flawed gun laws.”

“For those who lost loved ones, and for the students, educators and first responders who witnessed the unimaginable horror at Sandy Hook Elementary School, recovery may require continued services,” he said in the release. “I will continue to advocate for the Newtown community to aid its full recovery.”

Newtown received a $1.5 million grant from the Office for Victims of Crime last year. The Newtown Public School Distrcit received $3.2 million through the U.S. Department of Education’s School Emergency Response to Violence program in 2013 and 2014, according to the release.