Funding Cuts Threaten Services for Victims of Crime
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — Lumina Alliance is requesting the help of our community to protect vital funding sources during a Day of Action. VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) grant funding is expected to be significantly reduced in the 2024 fiscal year by almost 37%. This funding source supports several key services in San Luis Obispo County, including CASA-Voices for Children, Victim Witness, and Lumina Alliance. These services are directed at some of the most vulnerable members of our community-survivors of intimate partner and sexual violence, abused and neglected children, and other victims of crime. Join the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence,Valor, Lumina Alliance, and organizations throughout the state on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, for VOCA Day of Action by contacting your state legislators.
All of our direct service programs– including client advocacy, shelter, transitional housing, and therapy– will be impacted by these cuts. The proposed cuts pose a serious threat to these services and, by extension, the continued health and well-being of our entire community. We need our supporters’ help to let our state leaders know how important this funding is to SLO County.
“These cuts will directly impact our ability to provide services to our clients in the areas of advocacy, therapy, transitional housing, client assistance and shelter. Now more than ever, we need your support to keep these vital services alive and to continue to support those most vulnerable in our community,” said Jennifer Adams, CEO of Lumina Alliance.
Now is the time for California to invest in measures to support survivors of crime. We are asking our community to join us and organizations throughout the state, on December 5th, 2023, in calling or emailing our representatives to tell them to provide $200 million in ongoing funding for victim services. This Day of Action is an opportunity to let our representatives know how important these services are to our community, to prevent these federal cuts from impacting survivors of crime, and to provide ongoing stability to crime victim services in the state.
We understand that contacting your representatives can be daunting, so we have provided a sample email and phone script people can use that you can find at LuminaAlliance.org/SpeakOut. You can find out who your state representatives are at findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov
ABOUT LUMINA ALLIANCE — Lumina Alliance is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization created by the merging of RISE and Stand Strong in July 2021. Their mission is to empower those impacted by sexual and intimate partner violence through innovative advocacy, healing, and prevention programs. Services include 24/7 crisis and information line, case management, restraining order assistance, legal assistance, accompaniment and advocacy, emergency shelters, transitional housing, individual and group therapy, and robust prevention education. For more information, please visit www.LuminaAlliance.org
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