Fearless says demand, funding cuts strain shelter capacity; county to receive new higher shelter supplement

Kelly Ann, a representative of Fearless (the domestic violence and sexual-assault service organization), told the Sullivan County Health and Human Services Committee that demand for services has increased and that federal and state funding cuts are straining local service capacity.

“our numbers are up 10% from July,” Kelly Ann said, and she told legislators Fearless is “strategizing right now and just navigating the funding and the funding streams.” She said a federally funded advocate co-located at the Sullivan County district attorney’s office will lose that federal support on Sept. 30 and “the DA’s office in the county may not be able to support the continuation of the co location of the advocate.” Kelly Ann added Fearless “is committed to providing those services” and has created a referral process to work with the DA’s office once the co-location ends.

The organization also said it has a contract delay for state emergency financial assistance funds (referred to in the county presentation as “safe money”) that could be available beginning Jan. 1, but Fearless has not yet been able to execute the contract and…