By Renee Worthing 

Staff Writer

Since 1977, Caring Unlimited, Sanford’s domestic abuse resource program, has helped women and children escape from their abusers, offered temporary shelter, assisted with safety planning and been an advocate in the courts. But, proposed cuts to state and federal funding may force Caring Unlimited to close its doors, Caring Unlimited Hotline Coordinator Monique Libby said.

“We heard rumblings about cuts,” Libby said. “We received official word Feb. 29.”

Caring Unlimited’s Public Awareness and Community Support Coordinator Jill Barkley said Gov. John Baldacci’s proposed 2008-2009 Supplemental Budget slashes $168,000 from domestic violence support programs. Coupled with President George Bush’s proposed cuts to federally funded programs, the reductions spell disaster for Caring Unlimited.

Barkley said Bush’s proposed cuts include a $208,430 cut from the Violence Against Women Act, $131,735 from the Victims of Crime Act and $93,038 from the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act.

“The total loss we could experience is $1.1 million,” Barkley said. “Catastrophic is the word we are using and that’s not being dramatic.”

“We’re terrified,” Libby said.

Barkley said if the state funding cuts go through, they will go into effect July 1, forcing Caring Unlimited to close its doors in October.

She said Caring Unlimited’s $1.4 million budget is funded by state and federal money, as well as the United Way and some grants.

Caring Unlimited’s biggest fundraiser, the Atlantic Plunge, which takes place Jan. 1 raised about $27,000.

She said a walk/run fundraiser, in memory of Nicole Oliver – who was murdered July 2007 by her husband in Wells – is also in the beginning stages of planning, but won’t cover the loss of state and federal funding.

“There is no place for these women to turn,” Barkley said.

She said Baldacci’s proposed cuts to general assistance, mental health, substance abuse, programs for unwed mothers and family planning organizations will have a deep impact on social service programs, including Caring Unlimited’s 14 transitional housing apartments which Barkley said are always full.

“They (women at the shelter and in transitional housing) are totally starting over,” Barkley said. “It’s really a new beginning. The services are essential to these women. Women go back to abusive situations because of economics.”

She said employees and volunteers at Caring Unlimited have begun to tell the women using the program’s services about the possible cuts and the impact they may have.

“They are scared,” Barkley said. “It’s terrifying for them. One woman told me, ‘Just because I am safe now doesn’t mean others won’t need Caring Unlimited’s services.’ That really hit me.”

She said the women are calling and emailing their state representatives and senators.

“They are asking them to restore the proposed elimination of these funds,” Barkley said.

Barkley said Caring Unlimited is not the only domestic abuse program that will be impacted by the proposed cuts.

There are nine other programs operating under the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence (MCEDV).

“We are all in the same boat,” Barkley said.

 MCEDV Acting Director Deborah Chapman said each of the nine domestic violence prevention programs in Maine operate under their own budget and receive state and federal funding directly from each source. 

“Each of the programs have a contract with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services,” Chapman said, noting the proposed cuts won’t directly affect the MCEDV.

 “We don’t provide direct social services,” MCEDV Advocate Training and Legislative Coordinator Gretchen Ziemer said. “We do more at the state and national level and bring it back to the local level.”

She said the domestic violence prevention programs throughout Maine are “trying to be optimistic.”

“People are being victimized and impacted over and over,” Ziemer said. “If someone calls a hotline number and gets an operator who says the number is no longer in service, that would be tragic.” 

“Even if we keep our hotline, how do we support these people?” Libby asked.

Barkley said the shelter alone provided a temporary home to 36 women and children in February.

Libby said between Oct. 1, 2006 and Sept. 30, 2007, Caring Unlimited’s 24-hour hotline staff and volunteers helped 3,001 individuals, including 2,535 women, 342 children and 124 men.

Caring Unlimited’s 24-hour hotline responded to 1,895 calls.

Ziemer said she is encouraging people to call their representatives and senators to “put the pressure on them.” 

“This is a bad move economically and it’s bad for people,” Ziemer said. 

Barkley said public hearings were planned for March 11 and 12 at the Augusta Civic Center.

“We’ll definitely have a big showing there,”she said.

To  contact  Renee Worthing, email news@intheregister.com or 282-4337 ext. 240