Pinellas County Domestic Violence Organization Faces Funding Cuts Amidst Rising Need

CASA's Critical Role in Pinellas County

• 🎯 CASA, an organization providing help and support to domestic violence survivors, assisted nearly 8,000 individuals through its hotline last year.
• 🏠 The organization is experiencing a high demand for emergency shelter, with more individuals seeking beds than CASA has available.
• 🛍️ Every dollar spent at CASA's thrift store directly supports survivors and families transitioning out of domestic violence situations.

Escalating Demand and Service Impact

• 📈 CASA is seeing approximately 50 people a week seeking assistance, indicating a very high volume of need.
• 🛌 The nonprofit's emergency shelter averages 150 people per night, with half of those being children.
• 📞 For every 25 calls to the hotline, CASA can only admit one person to shelter, highlighting a significant gap between calls and available resources.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Last year, CASA provided shelter to 542 adults and children, answered nearly 8,000 hotline calls, and served 3,000 families.

Funding Challenges and Legislative Impact

• 📉 CASA has experienced funding cuts at both the federal and county levels, including a 20% reduction in Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding.
• ⚠️ The implementation of the Gabby Petito Act, requiring lethality assessments by officers, is anticipated to increase call volume significantly.
• 💰 Despite the new legislation, there is no additional funding allocated for increased hotline calls, emergency shelter, or case managers.

Community Support and Awareness

• 🕯️ CASA plans to honor victims of domestic violence in Pinellas County later this month.
• 😥 The CEO expresses concern over the potential impact of budget cuts on survivors seeking help.
• 🌍 CASA emphasizes that domestic violence affects all communities and tax brackets, with an estimated 70% of cases going unreported.
• 🤝 Opportunities to support CASA include a scavenger hunt in downtown St. Petersburg and donations at their thrift store.