Abuse victims, families to get less aid from Suffolk

SUFFOLK

Val Livingston and Thaler McCormick help families in desperate situations, but they say they will do less of it in the coming year because of city budget cuts.

"We're missing $18,000," said Livingston, executive director of Genieve Shelter, a haven for victims of domestic violence in Suffolk, Isle of Wight County and Franklin. "That means I am unable to help with clients' needs, such as transportation, child care, clothing for work" and a variety of other things.

Genieve Shelter helps abused women find jobs, provides clothes and often assists them with transportation to and from work. The shelter also has provided child care for women while they are working.

McCormick is executive director of Suffolk House, an emergency shelter for families with kids. It lost $33,000 in local funding, a 56 percent cut. Suffolk House, previously called the Center for Hope and New Beginning, was taken over a year ago by ForKids, a nonprofit Norfolk-based operation, which promised to end a long history of mismanagement.

"This is devastating," McCormick said. "The city invested in this shelter for a lot of years. To disinvest at the time it's needed the most is just wrong. We're so close to moving the shelter ahead."

The city reduced its budgeted amount for nonprofits from $350,000 to $225,000 for fiscal year 2010, which starts July 1. The city had 32 requests for that money but told some groups they would get only federal grant money that the city directs.

Livingston said that in her 13 years as head of Genieve Shelter, the city has always supported the agency financially.

Suffolk spokeswoman Debbie George said Genieve Shelter and Suffolk House continue to receive local support from the Community Development Block Grant.

"With limited resources, you have to be strategic," George said. "These organizations were advised that their funding requests were recommended via the city CDBG allocation and were adopted in the budget from this funding source."

Previously Genieve Shelter and Suffolk House received both local dollars and money from the Community Block Development Grant. CDBG funds have not increased to make up the shortfall, Livingston said.

"We normally get $20,000 to $25,000," she said. "This year we're getting $25,000. But we've always received local dollars. This will be the first year we will receive no local dollars and the taxpayers cannot say they're supporting the Genieve Shelter."

The cuts come at a time when some studies suggest domestic violence is on the rise nationally. The Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation, which funds women's causes, released a study this spring showing a major increase in requests to domestic violence shelters.

Genieve Shelter, which served 38 households last fiscal year, is already up to 54 for this fiscal year.

At Samaritan House in Virginia Beach, executive director Ruth Hill said, "We stay full." Samaritan House, a dual program to help the homeless and victims of domestic violence, provides beds for 100 people a night.

Hill said a decrease in individual giving has seen Samaritan House lose as much as $10,000 a month.

"We've seen a substantial drop in the $25-to-$200 giving range since September of last year," she said.

Livingston said Genieve Shelter is unable to help everyone in need.

"We're already at more money, more households and unless the economy changes today, I don't see that changing," Livingston said.

"We probably receive two to four phone calls a day of people we have to turn away."

Vicki L. Friedman, (757) 477-6874, vicki.friedman@pilotonline.com