Metro Shelters for Domestic Violence Victims Lose Funding

A lack of money is putting women and children at risk. The state supported agencies that help domestic violence victims get out of dangerous situations are being forced to cut services.

Monday, January 11th 2010, 5:23 pm

By: News 9


By Jennifer Pierce, NEWS 9

NORMAN, Oklahoma -- A lack of money is putting women and children at risk. The state supported agencies that help domestic violence victims get out of dangerous situations are being forced to cut services.

The problem comes on the anniversary of the tragic deaths of an El Reno family.

It was a year ago tomorrow Summer Rust and her four children were found murdered in their El Reno apartment. The woman's boyfriend is accused of killing the family.

More on News9.com: El Reno Family Murders

The faces of domestic violence are faces friends and family members will never see again, except through pictures.

The agencies that work to prevent tragic endings like what happened to Summer Rust and her children are facing their own problems. State budget cuts are forcing The Women's Resource Center in Norman to pack up, not to move, but to close. Victims and their children will no longer have someone to talk to, to help them through the trauma of domestic violence.

"This was free and it was specialized," said Marcia Smith with the Coalitions Against Domestic Violence. "Most counseling programs are not specialized in domestic violence."

It's closing at a time when demand for help is at an all time high. The program is not losing its shelter, though.

But shelter openings are hard to come by these days not just in Norman but all over the state. It's forcing some women to seek safety miles from home.

"If the situation is dangerous enough they do have to do that; if you've got a woman who has a job to have to go to a shelter that's 50 miles away or 150 miles away from her home is asking an awful lot of her," Smith said.

But Smith says the other option is to stay in a violent situation and she doesn't want to lose another Oklahoma family.

"I think about that every day and I pray about that every night," Smith said.

These agencies not only depend on state dollars but private donations. Program directors are asking communities to step up and support the programs.

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