YWCA Clark County is celebrating 50 years of its SafeChoice Program, which supplies assets together with shelter, transitional housing and authorized companies for many who have confronted home violence. Nonetheless, this system is projected to have a $200,000 deficit in 2025.
This system started in 1974 when a bunch of ladies who known as themselves the “Esther Short Park Lunch Bunch” determined battered ladies and kids wanted a protected place to remain once they left their abusers, stated Chandra Chase, vice chairman of communications and advertising and marketing.
The ladies used their very own cash to lease an condominium and run the SafeChoice Program out of it, Chase stated.
“Because of their early leadership, countless numbers of women and children have found a safe haven,” Chase stated.
Over time, YWCA added authorized advocacy, peer counseling, assist teams and specialised companies. After a renovation in 2023, the shelter has 14 rooms for adults and kids fleeing home violence. It’s the solely place in Clark County providing shelter particularly for home violence survivors.
In 2022, the Ed and Dollie Lynch Fund gave YWCA Clark County $3 million in seed cash to assist the kickoff of an enlargement of the SafeChoice Program’s companies.
Growth of the home violence shelter and its packages is predicted to value $5 million, so YWCA wants assist from authorities contracts, company backing and group contributions to fill the hole.
The enlargement has enabled this system to extend companies for youth staying within the shelter.
“We don’t currently receive any other dedicated youth and children funding into our domestic violence program, and so this project … has been very critical to being able to focus on children and youth and giving them support they need,” stated Brittini Lasseigne, CEO of YWCA Clark County.
Authorized companies for home violence survivors have additionally expanded. Clark County Volunteer Legal professionals helps folks within the SafeChoice Program with safety orders, household legislation and evictions.
For the reason that program started eviction prevention companies this spring, 77 folks have acquired rental cost help, Chase stated.
Transitional housing and speedy rehousing has additionally been a serious focus because the enlargement, with 237 folks receiving housing companies since 2020.
“The average stay in our shelter is three months. So what are people doing after that?” Lasseigne stated. “(Housing) participants can come in and stay for a year, and we pay their rent, and they’re able to work on finding stability during that year.”
Prevention programming in center and excessive faculties has elevated because the enlargement, Lasseigne stated. YWCA holds multiweek workshops on wholesome relationships, boundaries and consent, she stated.
“We like want to be able to be in the space where our crisis service is no longer needed. And so to do that, it’s really focusing on our prevention work and how we can educate future generations,” Lasseigne stated.
However YWCA Clark County wants assist from the group sustaining these companies in 2025, she stated. Folks can donate by the nonprofit’s Undertake-A-Room fundraiser to assist fill that hole by the top of the fiscal yr in June.
The deficit comes within the midst of different funding challenges for home violence companies.
The federal Victims of Crime Act directs cash from legal fines to home violence packages. Washington anticipates a 51.5 p.c discount in that funding within the subsequent fiscal yr.
Washington tried to maintain its packages afloat by allocating one-time funding of $41.3 million for crime sufferer companies and $750,000 for emergency home violence shelters. The town of Vancouver additionally allotted nearly $1 million for home violence shelters and housing in July.
Nonetheless, each native and state funding will finish by June 30. If the funding isn’t renewed, it might drive some home violence packages to close down or in the reduction of on companies.
Though Lasseigne stated not one of the 14 shelter rooms are in jeopardy of closing if YWCA Clark County doesn’t increase the $200,000, survivors might obtain fewer companies.
“It’s really the first opportunity that we’ve had where community can have that kind of support in our shelter and transitional housing,” Lasseigne stated.