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Phoenix Project asks Warren County for $15,000 to support survivor services
Summary
Phoenix Project Executive Director Avery Harper asked the Board of Supervisors for $15,000 to sustain crisis and supportive services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, citing hotline volume, shelter nights and transportation needs.
A representative of the Phoenix Project told the Warren County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 14 that the nonprofit needs $15,000 from the county to continue crisis and supportive services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
The organization’s executive director, Avery Harper, described two categories of the agency’s work: crisis services (hotline, emergency transport and shelter, medical accompaniment and emergency supplies) and supportive services (court accompaniment, support groups, safety planning and community outreach). Harper said the Phoenix Project operates its hotline in coordination with the Front Royal Police Department and hopes to partner with the sheriff’s office this year.
Harper told the board the agency handled 1,058 hotline calls related to domestic violence, 314 related to sexual assault and 1,261 calls involving coordination of services over the prior year. She said the agency recorded 308 agency shelter nights, and 48 children were among those served. The Phoenix Project also reported 1,024 community engagement activities last year, Harper said.
Harper described how requested county funds would be used: to pay for emergency hotel stays for people fleeing imminent danger; transportation for survivors who need travel to distant shelters or safe locations; utility and rent payments in situations of financial abuse; and hotline maintenance. She told the board that keeping the 24/7 hotline available costs about $1,500 (Harper: "It's about it it is $1,500 in order for us to maintain that particular 20 hotline.").
Harper read excerpts of survivor statements provided to the agency and said the Phoenix Project will continue outreach and education, including the attorney general’s address confidentiality program for survivors.
Board members asked no substantive follow-up questions during the presentation. Harper concluded by offering to speak to county social groups and by thanking the board for its time.
The board will consider the Phoenix Project’s FY‑2026 budget request as part of the county’s overall budget process; the board does not make final allocations until the formal budget adoption in March.
