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Haven reduces services to balance budget

NANAIMO – Haven Society is cutting back its programs to help women and children who have experienced domestic abuse.

Haven Society is cutting back its programs to help women and children who have experienced domestic abuse to ensure the agency balances the books next year.

"We're finding our costs are up significantly and our income hasn't risen in the same way," said Anne Spilker, executive director. "We just feel we need to pull in a bit and see how the next year goes. I don't want to be home at night worrying if we can pay all the bills."

Last year, Haven Society served 3,556 clients – a record for the agency and one that Spilker attributes to a growing city, a faltering economy and increased public awareness about the services offered.

A year earlier, 2,873 women and children walked through the doors.

"We're constantly full at the transition house – that's something that's been new," said Spilker.

Yet government funding remained the same over the past four years and fundraising revenue is down slightly this year, she said. The agency fundraised about $215,000 this year, down from about $250,000 last year.

"People are still generous – it's still a significant amount," said Spilker. "With the economy being the way it is, people aren't donating as much money and we have more clients."

With rising hydro, maintenance, food and other costs and a budget that has stayed the same, the organization decided to pare down hours in each program to ensure the books remain in the black.

"We run a pretty lean operation," said Spilker. "There's nowhere else to cut but wages."

The children who witness abuse, women's counselling and victim services programs will all see a reduction in hours per week, while Spilker and another administrator will also take a half-day cut per week.

Transition house staffing will remain the same, as Haven is required to have a certain number of staff on at all times.

Spilker expects there will be fewer opportunities for staff to go into elementary and secondary schools to talk about domestic violence, as they will have to focus the remaining hours on the counselling aspect of the program.

"Probably we will go in some, but not to the extent we have in the past," she said.

Spilker also expects women will wait longer for in-depth counselling sessions – there are already about 40 currently on the wait list – and there will be less hours of support for women going through the justice system, which could mean fewer women going ahead with domestic violence charges.

She said while this hasn't come out of the blue – staff have tightened the belt on spending where they could over the past couple years, and managed until now without a reduction in hours.