As the Michigan Legislature hammers out a new state budget, Caring Connection in Benton Harbor is calling on supporters to ask their lawmakers not to let funding for victim services be cut.
Caring Connection CEO Robin McGinnis tells us the House budget approved last week would reduce that funding statewide by $4 million, potentially meaning a loss of $150,000 in funding for programs locally.
“That includes not only our domestic violence shelter here in county, as well as our sexual assault, but the child advocacy centers and all kinds of victim services in the state of Michigan,” McGinnis said.
McGinnis says that potential loss of funding for the domestic violence shelter would mean a reduction in services, and possibly, people being turned away.
“People will end up not coming into shelter, they’ll be living on the street and potentially remaining in a home where there’s violence and exposing children to ongoing violence. It’s a devastating budget cut.”
McGinnis says the Caring Connection’s Empowerment Center last year housed 108 women and children survivors of domestic violence. It provided them with housing, food, legal advocacy, employment support, and counseling as they planned their next move. The average stay at the shelter is four months.
McGinnis has been communicating with Southwest Michigan lawmakers about the issue and says some have been supportive. With the House budget now being reviewed by the Senate, she’s hoping people contact state Senators Aric Nesbitt and Jonathan Lindsey to ask that victim services funding not be reduced.
