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Kate Carbonaro: East End shelter operator says 18 beds and rising demand require more funding and legal help
Summary
On Successful Philanthropy, The Retreat’s executive director Kate Carbonaro described the nonprofit’s shelter, 24/7 hotline and school prevention programs, and urged more donations and grants to expand housing and legal services for survivors on the East End of Long Island.
Kate Carbonaro, executive director of The Retreat, told the podcast Successful Philanthropy that her organization runs a small emergency shelter and a 24/7 multilingual hotline that together address a rising demand for survivor services on the East End of Long Island.
“We have a shelter where we can house 18 people that are actively fleeing from violence,” Carbonaro said, noting that the organization also provides counseling, advocacy to obtain orders of protection, family‑court representation and prevention education in local schools.
Carbonaro said The Retreat received more than 3,000 hotline calls last year from people in emergency situations and that the shelter system in the region is limited. “We only have 18 beds,” she said, and she cited roughly 70 emergency housing beds across Long Island for a population of about 2.5 million people, underscoring a regional shortage.
The executive director said The Retreat relies primarily on community donations and a mix of government grants. She described several government grants that underwrite programs such as elder‑abuse work and transitional housing; she added that state rules limit emergency shelter stays to six months. “We have a program that works with people when they’re leaving our shelter because you can only stay at our shelter for 6 months. That’s a state law,” Carbonaro said.
Carbonaro said expanding housing and growing the legal team are organizational priorities for the coming year. “My goal is eventually to be able to help people in all different issues that they’re dealing with,” she said, noting The Retreat currently has one lawyer for family‑court cases and hopes to add attorneys who are trained in trauma‑informed interviewing.
On confidentiality, Carbonaro said The Retreat’s clinical and legal staff follow strict privacy rules tied to funding requirements under the Violence Against Women Act and other grant terms. “Everything you tell them is confidential,” she said, adding that hotline responders can connect callers to language lines when needed.
To donate or get help, Carbonaro pointed listeners to the organization’s website, allagainstabuse.org, and asked supporters to consider gifts that would help housing, legal services and prevention education.
The interview aired on Successful Philanthropy; Carbonaro said The Retreat is actively applying for grants and pursuing foundation and individual support to sustain programs and expand capacity.
