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Morris County proclaims October 2025 Domestic Violence Awareness Month; JBWS warns shelters are strained
Summary
The Morris County Board presented a proclamation recognizing Domestic Violence Awareness Month and heard from Diane Williams of JBWS that local shelters face capacity strain: 189 county residents and children needed emergency shelter in 2024 and JBWS plans a pet‑friendly shelter expansion.
The Morris County Board of County Commissioners presented a proclamation Thursday recognizing October 2025 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and received an update from Diane Williams, president and CEO of the local domestic violence service organization JBWS.
Williams told the board JBWS conducts prevention work in schools and operates the Morris Family Justice Center, where survivors can access counseling, legal help and file restraining orders. "We're actually one of the largest domestic violence organizations in the state of New Jersey," Williams said, adding the center handled 364 new clients in the past year and legal advocacy services increased 17 percent.
Williams cited 2024 Morris County figures showing 189 victims and their children required emergency shelter and said the organization has been "hoteling families" because shelter capacity is exceeded. She said hoteling and crisis response dispatches rose sharply since 2023 and characterized the increase as a pressing need for expanded shelter capacity and services.
Williams outlined an expansion plan: JBWS is fundraising to add six family rooms (about 18 individuals) in a pet‑friendly wing, and said the organization recently won a contract to provide core domestic violence services in a neighboring county that lost its prior provider. She described the funding mix for JBWS services as roughly 19 percent federal, 19 percent state and about half from government‑related contracts, with the remainder from private fundraising.
Board members joined Williams onstage for the proclamation presentation. No formal vote was recorded at the meeting on the proclamation; it was presented and acknowledged by commissioners before they moved on to other business.
The board scheduled no formal action on funding requests during the work session. Williams said JBWS will hold a town hall in January to discuss services and invited county officials and residents to participate.
What happens next: the board presented the proclamation and will consider formal actions or funding requests in future public meetings as needed.
