Domestic violence shelters and rape crisis services may be forced to close their
doors if the government shutdown doesn't end soon.
Can you tell John Boehner and the House to end the shutdown?
click here
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Starting today, some
rape crisis centers and domestic violence shelters may be forced close their doors
, pushing survivors out onto the streets.
1
Especially in rural, poor communities, these services rely heavily on federal grants
to keep running.2
But with the federal government shut down, funding provided for these services under
the Violence Against Women Act ran out Friday. Services won’t be restored until Congress
passes a government funding bill.
3
For a woman who needs help after she’s been raped or a safe place to protect herself
or her children from an abusive partner, the impact of this shutdown could be life
or death.
And it's not just shelters and crisis centers--WIC, the vital nutrition program for
moms and small children is running out of funding.
4
Head Start programs are closing their doors, leaving thousands of kids without
this critical early education--and their parents without childcare.
5
As the shutdown continues, outrage has been building against Speaker John Boehner
for blocking a vote to fund the government--even though there are enough Republican
votes in the House to end the shutdown.
6
If we can add to the growing public outrage, we can generate so much negative media
attention that everyone--even Boehner--will see just how angry people all over the
country are
. Can you sign the petition?
Tell Speaker Boehner and the House to end the shutdown.
Sadly, this isn’t the first time that conservatives have held up the life-saving
Violence Against Women Act. Last year, they blocked the bill from being renewed for
months, leaving shelters wondering if they could keep their doors open.
7
Now, conservatives are playing politics with women’s lives all over again.
Here’s what one woman told The Dish
about how the shutdown affects shelters like the one she runs:
8
I run a small, rural domestic violence and rape crisis center in Northern California .
We are the only provider of this kind for the entire county… the State of California
cannot draw down the VAWA [Violence Against Women Act] funds to pay us for our services
– which by the way, are mandated by law… Right now almost every shelter in the state
is housing not only adult victims of abuse, but many, many children, all of whom
may be forced to hit the rickety road soon, compliments of the mostly male members
of the "shutdown coalition."
But closed shelters and crisis hotlines aren’t the only way that women are being
hurt by the shutdown. Critical programs that support women and families all over
the country are also at risk--or have already been closed.
Nearly 9 million of our country’s poorest moms, infants, and kids under 5 rely on
WIC--the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.
9
WIC helps new moms get breastfeeding help, formula, and healthy food. But as of Wednesday,
funding for the program was stopped.
The USDA estimated that most states would be able to keep giving out benefits "for
a week or so."
10
While Speaker Boehner blocks a vote to reopen the government, rape and abuse survivors
are being turned away from shelters, and moms and kids are going hungry.
If we all speak out now, we can make sure he knows how angry we are. Can you add
your name?
Add your name.
Thanks for speaking out.
--Nita, Shaunna, Kat, Karin, Malinda, Adam, and Gabriela, the UltraViolet team
Sources:
1.
Government shutdown: which agencies are next in line to close?
, The Guardian, October 4, 2013
2.
Domestic Violence Programs Brace For End Of Federal Funds After Friday
, Think Progress, October 3, 2013
3. Ibid.
4.
Government Shutdown: 9 Million Moms And Babies At Risk As WIC Program Halts
, Forbes, October 2, 2013
5.
Victims Once More, Head Start Families Struggling Under Shutdown
, Huffington Post, October 4, 2013
6.
Here's A Tally Of Which House Republicans Are Ready To Fund The Government, No Strings Attached
, Huffington Post, October 1, 2013
7.
House GOP Lets Violence Against Women Act Passed By Senate Die Without A Vote
, Huffington Post, January 2, 2013
8.
The View From Your Shutdown
, The Dish, October 3, 2013
9.
Government Shutdown: 9 Million Moms And Babies At Risk As WIC Program Halts
, Forbes, October 2, 2013
10. Ibid.
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