The Haven has asked for the city’s help.

The Haven needs our help as a community.

During a recent meeting of the Valdosta City Council, Michelle Girtman, The Haven executive director, said the South Georgia shelter for people who have experienced domestic abuse and sexual assault needs help.

She asked City Council for American Rescue Plan Act funding, as the nonprofit faces “essential” budget cuts, according to an article that ran in The Valdosta Daily Times earlier this week.

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, according to the article.

The formula has been fixed, according to Girtman, but none of the money can be replaced because the budgets have already been completed.

Girtman said 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 may have to do it, if The Haven can’t find a solution.

And the budget loss doesn’t even take into account the effects of the pandemic. COVID-19 has hit most nonprofits hard.

The Haven never closed its doors during the pandemic but it 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, she told city officials.

The Haven also had to cancel regular fundraising events due to the pandemic.

City Council did not give an answer during the meeting. City leaders are scheduled to review the uses for ARPA during the city summit later this month.

We would urge city officials to take The Haven’s plea seriously when it comes time to allocate ARPA allocations.

We also urge readers to give to The Haven. 

The Haven has helped victims of family violence and sexual assault for decades. It needs our help to keep helping others in our community.

More information: Call (229) 244-1765.