Florida domestic violence shelter struggling for money
OCALA, Fla. - A local domestic violence shelter says it’s having money problems.
“We’ve used everything,” Ocala Domestic Violence Center CEO Dr. Judy Wilson said. “We are dead broke.”
The Ocala Domestic Violence Center receives 11 state grants.
The center hasn’t seen any of that money since November.
“It’s $325,000, I know, is out,” Dr. Wilson said. “There may be some more.”
She believes the delay is tied to the investigation into the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence (FCADV), the organization in charge of distributing state funds, including grants to shelters.
The FCADV and its leaders are under investigation for misusing millions of dollars.
The governor announced a lawsuit filed against the agency last week.
“For this to happen, it’s a great betrayal,” Dr. Wilson said. “It’s just unspeakable.”
The shelter serves 350 people a year and has about 30 staff members.
Without the grant money, Dr. Wilson is having trouble paying the bills and her staff.
If a solution doesn’t come soon, she’ll have to make cuts.
Every day, the department of children and families tells her they're working to get the shelter's funding back on track.
FOX 35 called the state, too, to see when that money would be coming and are still waiting to hear back.
“I don’t want to have to let staff off,” Dr. Wilson said. “I’ve only had to do that once in 45 years during a government shutdown.”