In funding safety issues, the Board of Advisors felt the most urgent need would be felt at the County’s two domestic violence shelters. In the first half of the grant period, both My Sisters’ Place and Hope’s Door reported that hotline calls have increased 20 percent in the past year, and that more clients have come to them for individual counseling and support groups. The residential shelters are operating at over 100 percent capacity. At the same time, loss of funding from private sources has led both agencies to reduce staffs and cut back programs. In short, smaller staffs at both agencies are dealing with a greater intensity of needs.

A third grant was made to the Pace Women’s Justice Center to support their pro bono legal project. Taking advantage of the many attorneys in the County who are willing to volunteer their time and expertise, the Justice Center was able to dedicate a staff attorney’s time to supervising the filing of uncontested divorces and answering calls to the legal helpline, which have increased 40 percent in the first six months of the grant. The pro bono legal project also assisted with 1,000 orders of protection.