KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Officials with YWCA Kalamazoo say they are facing major cuts from the Michigan state budget passed earlier this month, and they say that puts lives are on the line.
“For all the talk about prioritizing public safety, our government has turned its back on survivors of domestic and sexual violence and human trafficking,” says YWCA Kalamazoo CEO Susan Rosas.
The budget passed October 3 dud not backfill new federal reductions in Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds, which will result in victim service agencies like YWCA Kalamazoo reducing their services by an average of 20%.
YWCA had additionally requested state funds to cover other major 2025 federal losses to keep their local essential services afloat, but those requests were also excluded from the state budget.
YWCA Kalamazoo is issuing a community appeal to raise funds to cover what they call basic needs for people fleeing violence and families at risk of infant mortality.
According to Rosas, “Recurring monthly donations give survivors something to depend on, even when government funding fails. Kalamazoo families fleeing violence need to eat, stay warm, and have shelter to survive. Our babies die in homelessness, violence, and food insecurity. Our government safety net is crumbling, but we can make the radical choice to build our own safety net as a community.”
To donate to YWCA’s solidarity fund, visit: qrco.de/BeRadical
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