SPECIAL ALERT!!
July 28, 2009—Governor Schwarzenegger line item vetoed the Department of Public Health’sDomestic Violence Program, which provides $20.4 million for 94 domestic violence shelters and centers. Services provided by these agencies include emergency shelter, transitional housing, legal advocacy, assistance with restraining orders, counseling and other vital support services. Domestic violence shelters are often the only thing standing between victims and grave physical danger, and California’s communities cannot sustain their loss.
Last week the Legislature approved a 20% reduction to the program but the Assembly’s unwillingness to support two key proposals left a deficit that the Governor sought to fill with additional cuts. Shelters receiving money through this program will on average lose 30% of their budgets, and it is already clear that many programs will be forced to close their doors.
Central California Family Crisis Center, Inc. (CCFCC), better known as the Porterville Women’s Shelter, will be drastically affected by the budget cuts. The agency will lose over $200,000.00 that directly funds the emergency shelter program. Last year the emergency shelter provided services to nearly 400 women and children who were victims of domestic violence and homelessness. In addition to providing shelter the clients all received counseling, employment assistance, legal advocacy, child care services and budgeting education. CCFCC will be hard pressed to continue the many valuable services it is currently providing due to these severe budget cuts without immediate financial assistance from other sources, most importantly our local community.
State funding to domestic violence programs has been proven to save lives, and also millions of dollars in health care, law enforcement and other social costs. It is fiscally irresponsible to propose such cuts; the Governor is balancing the budget on the backs of our state’s most vulnerable citizens, according to the California Partnership To End Domestic Violence.
CCFCC has been serving the Southeastern portion of Tulare County for over 30 years. This includes the communities of Porterville, Lindsay, Delano, Terra Bella, Strathmore and Ducor to name a few. The need for shelter service is evident in the many articles you read in the local paper on domestic violence. Just this past year the Porterville Police Department received 145 domestic violence calls. Without CCFCC services victims seeking to rebuild their lives will not have a place to turn for help and lives will inevitably be lost as victims are forced to return to their abusers.
We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit agency that is dedicated to serving our community carrying out a vision established 30 years ago. If you are in need of assistance, please tour our website for potential information that may help you, your family, or a loved one on the road to recovery.