Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
First Step tells Harrisonburg council domestic-violence indicators have increased; agency opens second shelter
Summary
First Step executive director Candy Phillips told the council on April 22 that hotline calls and indicators of high-risk intimate-partner violence rose in 2024, citing increases in screenings, reported strangulation and sheltering; the agency opened a second shelter in March and received state accreditation in 2024.
Candy Phillips, executive director of First Step, briefed the Harrisonburg City Council during public comment on April 22, 2025, reporting an increase in domestic-violence calls and high-risk indicators and thanking the city for continued support.
Phillips said First Step — the local nonprofit that provides comprehensive services to survivors of domestic violence and their children in the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County — answered 6,644 hotline calls in 2024. The agency served 223…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
