“Two Whidbey Island women, both in their 70s, lived with abuse from the hands of their own adult sons. One son was emotionally abusive and intimidating. The other physically abused his frail mother.Both women sought help from Citizens Against Domestic and Sexual Abuse, a local nonprofit agency that specializes in services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child sexual abuse and elder abuse.Unfortunately, said Valerie Stafford, executive director of CADA, few elderly reach out for help. Most tend to be isolated and often very dependent on their abusers.They are the hidden victims, Stafford said, that two of CADA’s three new projects will target. CADA was recently awarded more than $250,000 in grants from the state for three new projects.The third grant will go towards something that local law enforcement officials have wanted for a long time – a new child interview room.Stafford said that the purpose of the interview room is so that young victims of sexual assault won’t have to be interviewed over and over again. The grant money will pay to equip an interview room with an observation window so that one or more agencies can access the interview information. In addition, the room will be furnished with audio and video equipment along with a youthful decor to put the child at ease.When a child has been sexually assaulted, the last thing they need is to be interrogated by groups of strangers, in cold institutional rooms, more than once, Stafford said.Stafford said another project takes a look at the elderly and disabled, and the other is focused on minority women – especially those who do not speak English – in the North Whidbey area. CADA will be training gatekeepers to recognize the signs of abuse and give out information about ways to get help. These gatekeepers will be people in the community – hairdressers, bank tellers, utility workers – who have contact with many people.CADA will also use the grant money to conduct a community needs assessment and design new services for elderly and disabled victims based on the assessment. The services may include aspects such as crisis intervention, counseling, legal advocacy and safe, accessible shelter.The three projects extend beyond the traditional services CADA offers and will require an increase in both staff and volunteers. Since each project will only be launched with grant funds, Stafford said financial support from the community will be needed to make a long-term impact. “