Bellamy 1

Jelin Bellamy
Mrs. DeBock
English 4
March 18, 2015
Service Research

Domestic violence has experienced a recent breakthrough in awareness. Shelters around

the country are struggling to overcome funding gaps which directly affect the shelters operator
to provide resources for the many women and children fleeing abuse. The government should
fund womens shelters because if the government does not provide the fund, then the shelters
will shut down and the women will have no safe place to turn to.
Funding provides critical and resources for nearly 400,000 women and children seeking
safety from abuse. According to the article, in 2014, in advance of Domestic Violence Awareness
Month in October, The Mary Kay FoundationSM awarded $3 million in grants to the 150 domestic
violence shelters. Each shelter will receive a $20,000 grant that will help maintain critical
services and programs (Domestic ViolenceThe Mary Kay FoundationSM). However, more than
half of the grant recipients use the unrestricted funds for basic operating expenses including
utilities and meal preparation. While others hire much needed personnel, complete repairs and
facility renovations or add additional programs and resources based on the unique needs of their
shelter and the clients they oblige. According to the article, The Mary Kay FoundationSM, with
their annual shelter grant program, $37 million has been granted to domestic violence
organizations since 2000.

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In October 2014, Governor Cuomo announces funding to prevent and help domestic
violence will be awarded to 56 prevention programs to help families across the state of New
York (Governor CuomoAcross the State). According to the article, New York is receiving
more than $4.3 million for programs that serve domestic violence victims across the state.
Funding is split into two different types of grants, a non-competitive grant and competitive grant.
The non-competitive grants were awarded to domestic violence programs in smaller counties
with fewer resources. On the other hand, the competitive grants are based on county poverty
rates, type of model, county Child Protective Services reporting rates, regional office ratings, and
racial equity and cultural competence (Governor CuomoAcross the State). The victims of
domestic violence are now able to feel safe and have a place to turn to when in need, since the
government grants money to domestic violence programs and shelters.
Sometimes the government is forced into denying grant money to domestic violence
shelters and programs. In Missouri about 15 domestic violence shelters were denied the state
fund, or the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) (Domestic Violence Shelters Denied State Grant
Funding). According to the video, the grant is supposed to provide up to $50,000 for each
shelters annual budget. Now that the money being granted to the shelter many things could
happen or go wrong. The House of Hope is one of the domestic violence shelters that were
denied the state grant money. The director of the shelter is now worried because she does not
know where her funding will come from to keep the doors of the shelter open. Budget cuts to
domestic violence shelters could hurt many people and leave many women and children with no
place to go.

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The government should fund womens shelters because if the government does not
provide the fund, then the shelters will shut down and the women will have no safe place to turn
to. The government should be more aware of the consequences that will occur if funding is not
provided to the victims in the domestic violence shelters. Shelters around the country are
struggling to overcome funding gaps which directly affect the shelters operator to provide
resources for the many women and children fleeing abuse.

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Works Cited
"Domestic Violence Shelters Across The Country Receive $3 Million In Grants From The Mary
Kay Foundation(SM)." PR Newswire 22 Sept. 2014. Biography in Context. Web. 6 Mar.
2015.
"Governor Cuomo Announces Funding to Prevent Domestic Violence $4.3 million Awarded to
56 Prevention Programs to Help Families across the State." States News Service 20 Oct.
2014. Biography in Context. Web. 9 Mar. 2015.
"Video: Domestic Violence Shelters Denied State Grant Funding." Local Broadcast Video
Content 5 Mar. 2014.Biography in Context. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.