Gainesville's Commission on the Status of Women is meeting the economic climate with a policy of generosity.
The group recently doubled the budget of the mini-grant it introduced this fall, which aids women's advocacy projects.
They awarded two $500 grants this weekend to The Arbor House and The Displaced Homemaker Program.
"We were so impressed by these two applicants that… the board gave us the funding to fund a second full grant this first round," said Megan Silbert, a member of the GCSW and a leader in the mini-grant selection process.
The Displaced Homemaker Program aims to benefit women who have primarily been homemakers throughout their lives but must now enter the workforce.
The program received a blow when its funding was cut by 40 percent beginning July 1.
Although the mini-grant can't come close to covering the organization's $67,000 cut, coordinator Nancy Griffin said the money will buy workbooks she considers essential tools for these women.
"The experience that we've gathered over these years is extremely important and we want to be able to give that information away freely and not be charging people," Griffin said.
"These women will be able to go out and have a stronger economic situation for them, which also will benefit our community in terms of productivity and may benefit their children if they're also parenting," Silbert said. "If we have higher unemployment, then it's even harder to get a job and they are more needed."
The Arbor House, which declined an interview, provides safe housing, counseling and career resources for single and expectant mothers, according to their Web site.
The GCSW received 13 complete applications, submitted by for programs ranging from women's self-defense to religious empowerment. The selections were based on factors such as how well the applicants could measure their effectiveness and the sustainability of the programs.
