Hope Crisis Center asks York County for continued support as shelter demand rises

Carmen Hinman, executive director of Hope Crisis Center, and Kylie Troutman, the center’s victim advocate for York and Delmarva, presented program highlights and a 2023 budget request to the York County Board of Commissioners on June 14.

Hinman said the organization provides a 24‑hour hotline, shelter and emergency housing assistance, legal and medical advocacy, bilingual services in areas of high Spanish-speaking need, and prevention education in schools. The center reported serving 485 unduplicated victims last year (including 136 children), providing roughly 1,286 shelter nights and receiving almost 4,000 hotline calls. Hinman also said the center delivered about $24,000 in housing financial assistance, and spent nearly $40,000 on shelter services last year — a jump attributed to longer COVID-era stays.

The presenters described a new telehealth partnership with Henderson Community Hospital that enables remote sexual-assault medical exams, reducing the need for transportation to Lincoln and shortening response times. Hinman noted progress on bilingual advocacy and a Seward County partnership with local prosecutors.

Hinman asked for continued county support and outlined a plan to phase counties into a combined 10% share of the agency’s overall budget: “Last year was year one. This year is year two,” she told commissioners, and said the center hoped for incremental county contributions as grant funding cycles change.

Commissioners asked about board recruitment, meeting cadence and opportunities for local residents to join the center’s board; Hinman said the group is exploring hybrid meeting formats and remains eager for local board representation. The board did not take an immediate vote on funding but thanked the presenters and invited follow-up conversations.