VALDOSTA – The Haven, a temporary shelter for people who have experienced domestic abuse and sexual assault, needs help, Michelle Girtman, executive director, said at a Valdosta City Council meeting last week.

She asked City Council for American Rescue Plan Act funding, as the nonprofit faces “essential” budget cuts.

“Washington (D.C.) messed up,” she said. “I know that’s hard to believe, but they made an error — a formula error — on all of our budgets across Georgia — across the United States,” she said.

Branches of The Haven across America are expecting a 36% loss of funding which, for Valdosta, is a loss of $455,000. Girtman said the loss will affect them for two to three years consecutively.

The formula has been fixed, according to Girtman, but none of the money can be replaced because budgets are created “in the rears.”

Girtman, upon hearing this news, found The Haven spends $350,000 annually on transportation, utilities, buying groceries and relocating women and children. The Haven also employs about 25 people.

She said she doesn’t want to lay off staff, though she will if necessary, if The Haven can’t find any other solutions.

“We can’t take a half-a-million dollar cut and not lay off staff,” Girtman said. “That’s just going to reduce services and programs in what we can do.”

She offered a look at what else The Haven has faced in the past couple of years through the pandemic.

The Haven never closed its doors during the pandemic, it has faced a 141% increase in temporary protection orders and it has served more women — more than 800 women and children — in a single year than it has since opening its doors in 1986.

These services will take a hit if nothing happens for the better.

District 6 City Council member Andy Gibbs asked if The Haven receives Paycheck Protection Program funding; Girtman said no.

“Because of federal regulations, they considered that a duplication of services and supplanting,” she said. “We had actually got $207,000 in PPP and we actually had to return that to the banks.”

She clarified with Gibbs that The Haven works off of its budget and annual fundraisers, the latter of which didn’t happen through the pandemic since Mathis City Auditorium, the place where the fundraisers usually occur, was closed for two and a half years.

Michael Smith, executive director of the Greater United Way of Valdosta, spoke on behalf of The Haven and the Child Advocacy Center of Lowndes County.

“Really all the agencies that have fed, clothed and sheltered people throughout the pandemic, they need your support if funds are available,” Smith said. “It’s been two years of fundraisers being cut.”

Smith said the United Way has been supporting and is seeking out solutions for funding but there have been no local donors or local businesses to clear the gaps these nonprofits are facing.

There’s no way they’ll be able to keep up with the demand they’re facing should no help come, Smith said.

City Council did not give an immediate answer for ARPA funding as the monies received are set for review at the city summit March 18-19.