Daytona Beach, FL - A local agency offering services to victims of domestic violence is one of many feeling the effects of the longest partial federal government shutdown in United States history.
Beacon Center -
the only certified organization which helps domestic violence victims in Volusia County - may have to furlough 24 full-time employees and three part-timers if the threat of another government shutdown doesn't go away soon.
Angie Pye, Beacon Center's Chief Executive Officer, says those furloughs could have happened as soon as last Friday (January 25th), but the U.S. Department of Justice offered a short reprieve to victim service agencies nationwide by guaranteeing funding until the end of February.
"If things don't change, we'll be back in that position again in just a few short weeks," Pye noted.
The shutdown came to an end that Friday when President Trump announced a deal with Democrats in Congress to fund the government temporarily for the next few weeks, but the President has threatened to consider another shutdown if a permanent deal to fund more sections of a physical wall along the Mexican border isn't agreed upon by then.
With federal funding making up 40% of the Beacon Center's budget, that lack of money will also affect other things if another shutdown happens, according to Pye.
She thinks domestic violence victims will suffer the most under that scenario as the Beacon Center will have to cut back drastically on the services they offer, especially the legal kind and the staffing of their 58-bed shelter for domestic violence victims and any affected children.
"I will not have attorneys available to represent these survivors," Pye noted. "It affects our ability to provide transportation services [to these victims]."
The Beacon Center's services include individual counseling, support groups, court advocates and various programs which help victims get their legal and financial affairs in order.
Pye says the lack of secure funding puts some of their clients in a terrible position.
"The most dangerous time for a survivor is when they are leaving that relationship," Pye states. "Statistically, we know that more women are killed by their partners when they attempt to leave the relationship. Not having resources available to them or support available to them could definitely mean life or death."
As of last June, Beacon Center has provided shelter to 61 adults and 48 children along with answering 1,816 crisis calls. In the prior fiscal year, Beacon Center served 234 adults and children, responding to 2,914 crisis calls through their 24-hour hotline.
Currently, 23 adults and 31 kids are at the Beacon Center's emergency shelter, 3 of which are newborns.
Daytona Beach, FL - A local agency offering services to victims of domestic violence is one of many feeling the effects of the longest partial federal government shutdown in United States history.
Beacon Center - the only certified organization which helps domestic violence victims in Volusia County - may have to furlough 24 full-time employees and three part-timers if the threat of another government shutdown doesn't go away soon.
Angie Pye, Beacon Center's Chief Executive Officer, says those furloughs could have happened as soon as last Friday (January 25th), but the U.S. Department of Justice offered a short reprieve to victim service agencies nationwide by guaranteeing funding until the end of February.
"If things don't change, we'll be back in that position again in just a few short weeks," Pye noted.
The shutdown came to an end that Friday when President Trump announced a deal with Democrats in Congress to fund the government temporarily for the next few weeks, but the President has threatened to consider another shutdown if a permanent deal to fund more sections of a physical wall along the Mexican border isn't agreed upon by then.
