On September 16, 2015, 14 out of 14 identified domestic violence programs in West Virginia–100%–participated in a national count of domestic violence services conducted by the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV). The following figures represent the information shared by West Virginia for the 24-hour survey period.
This is just one day.
The unmet requests were due to a lack of funds. Across West Virginia that year, 20 individual services at local programs were reduced or eliminated. 21% of programs reported government funding cuts. 21% of programs reported staffing cuts or reductions. 14% of programs reported reductions in private funding. 7% of programs reported fewer individual donations.
Across the state that year, due to the lack of funds, 9 staff positions were eliminated, and most (67%) of these positions were direct services such as shelter or legal advocates, so there were fewer advocates to answer calls for help.
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“Domestic violence organizations are crucial. We need effective funding and pay to keep assisting people in need. Our organization matters, and so do the people we help every day.”
“A victim sat in the courtroom to request protection from her abusive partner and repeatedly said, ‘I don’t know if I can do this. I don’t know if I can face him.’ The domestic violence
advocate sat with her through the proceedings and the victim was granted a protection order. After the hearing she hugged the advocate and said, ‘I can’t thank you enough, I could have never gone in there alone.’”
“Community education is essential to raising awareness about domestic violence and the resources that are available to victims… On DV Counts Day, local domestic violence programs educated 132 individuals in communities across WV. Advocates provided 7 trainings that addressed domestic violence prevention, early intervention, and more.”