For a county the size of Fayette the number of women and children receiving the multiple services provided by Promise Place in Fayetteville is large and getting larger.

Having quadrupled the number of victims seen for domestic violence issues in only four years, Promise Place is also experiencing decreasing revenue across the funding spectrum.

Promise Place serves the four-county Griffin Judicial Circuit. From July 1 last year to June 30, Promise Place served 3,060 people. Of those, 1,756 lived in Fayette County and included 1,142 adults, mainly women, along with 614 children.

Promise Place has a staff of nine to provide the array of services. The organization does have 64 volunteers on the books, though only 16 of those are certified to provide services, said Executive Director Sonja Strickland.

The number of people served by Promise Place has increased more than four-fold in the past four years when the non-profit provided services to 700 people in the judicial circuit. Then as now, the specter of domestic violence is one that can become generational.

“Domestic violence is not just a women’s crime. It affects whole families,” Strickland said. “If you don’t address the domestic violence, what happens to the little boys that are victims as well as their parent? They grow up and can become abusers. The little girls grow up to become abused. If you don’t stop that cycle it will keep perpetuating itself.”

Matters tend to become intensified, said Strickland, when the economy worsens and money problems increase.

Services provided by Promise Place include a 24-hour crisis hotline, an emergency shelter that houses up to 15 women and children for an average of 30-60 days, crisis intervention, teen dating violence prevention, legal advocacy, training for law enforcement, food pantry, children’s program, emergency assistance, counseling for women and children, support groups and community education.

The emergency shelter alone served 69 women and 91 children in the past year. And outside the totals for those receiving emergency services, a total of 1,438 from Fayette schools participated in dating violence prevention classes in the past year.

The funding reality is that dollars are being cut even as needs continue to increase. State funding beginning in July will decrease to $215,000, down from $228,000 a year ago.

A portion of the state funds is required to go to clients for purchases of items such as medications, clothing, gasoline, rental deposits and even motel rooms when the emergency shelter is at capacity.

Funding from Fayette County decreased by 4 percent to $19,200. Peachtree City renewed its $7,500 effort while Fayetteville eliminated its $7,500 contribution from this year’s budget. Promise Place also receives approximately $40,000 per year from the Fayette Thrift Shop.

And in terms of charitable giving, donations from businesses have dropped 48 percent along with a 46 percent decline from churches and 40 percent from individuals.

Making adjustments with the change in economic conditions, Strickland said Promise Place cut 25 percent of its staff last October and has taken measures to trim expenses wherever it can.

Those who know Strickland understand that she is always one to remain upbeat and optimistic, regardless of the scope of need of clients or the reality of decreased funding from state and local governments, businesses, organizations and individuals.

But the current climate of decreased funding from all sources in spite of the requirement to increase service provision to women and children in need is a barrier that is not easily overcome.

Promise Place will hold a 5K Run Against Domestic Violence fund-raiser at Peachtree City Hall on Sept. 25 to help offset increasing costs.

For more information on Promise Place or its fund-raising efforts, visit www.promiseplace.org or call 770-461-3839.

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