Dear Friends,

One of the terrible side effects of a bad economy is an increase in domestic violence.

It has been true since at least the days of the Great Depression when increasing family strife and abuse was layered on top of unemployment, homelessness and hunger.

Today , we at Ulster County’s Domestic Violence Services /The Washbourne House are seeing the same sad trend. The number of people looking for services is drastically rising.

But along with the rise in need, the tough times also mean resources to help fund the services are more scarce. In an unprecedented move, Ulster County Department of Social Services has cut 100-percent of domestic violence funding for The Washbourne 's House children's program, leaving us wondering how we are going to deal with the loss.

In the end, a lack of domestic violence funding, much of which goes toward prevention and intervention, touches everyone. When a situation escalates, police are called in and find themselves involved in manhunts and dangerous standoffs. In some cases schools are closed or locked down if law enforcement believes there is a volatile situation. Businesses deal with absenteeism from employees who are victims.

And we all hear about one of the terrible increasing trends : murder suicides. In our own community there have been far too many. The worst element of domestic violence, of course, is when someone dies. Those numbers continue to increase in Ulster County.

We need to move from reacting to escalating acts of abuse and violence to working to prevent them. Part of getting a woman to be free and become a survivor is to offer full services to her and her children which include children's groups.

Now, of all times, the resources provided for victims of domestic abuse are essential. Domestic abuse reporting is already down as a result of the recessionary economy. More and more abuse victims are choosing to remain in coercive relationships for the economic security provided for them and their children. Funding cuts exacerbate the problem as their options are cut off. And, all too often there are children involved who will be subject to the same abuse, perhaps growing up to be abusers or victims themselves.

To leave physically injured, and intimidated victims of domestic violence under protected, under served and under funded is to our disgrace whatever the budgetary excuses.

We won't be able to provide these services unless we can find other funding , people in our community can help out. Please send a check today to : The Washbourne House , PO Box 3817, Kingston, NY 12402 (Attention The Children's Program)

Thank you,
Kathleen Welby-Moretti Program Director