Published: September 18, 2007 12:33 pm      

Crisis Center in a state of limbo regarding funds

By Raymond Billy

assistanteditor@jacksonvilleprogress.com

The Crisis Center of Anderson and Cherokee Counties is still awaiting word on possible discretionary funding from the Governor’s Office to lesson the impact of the roughly $160,000 in state funding it expected that wasn’t granted.

“At this time we still have not been informed if we will be funded or how much. However, the Governor’s Office has stated that they are planning to help. To what extent, we do not know,” said Donald Hammock, executive director of Crisis Center.

The expected funds would have come from the Victims of Crime Act grant the the center applied for through the East Texas Council of Governments. Crisis Center learned it was not getting VOCA funding from the Criminal Justice Division of the Governor’s Office in July and has been looking for ways to replace that money ever since, such as through state and national charities and grants.

Hammock said that the organization has received support from East Texans since news of its funding problem became public.

“We have had some good responses. Since the articles appeared (in the Jacksonville Daily Progress) we have collected an extra $14,000,” Hammock said. “However, this is far from the amount needed to just sustain the services that are provided to victims. At this time we still have a projected $150,000 deficit for next year. This will drastically hinder the amount of services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse,” he said.

Meanwhile, the center continues to move forward on starting new service programs. In August, the Crisis Center applied for two grants that it has not sought previously: the (stop) Violence Against Women grant and the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention grant.

“The VAWA grant is to help sustain the services at our safe house and the JJDP is to help troubled youth who have been victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse,” Hammock said. “At this time, both of these grants are still pending. We have not heard any new news concerning these grants.”

Anyone interested in donating money to the Crisis Center can do so by mailing Crisis Center, 700 East Cherokee, Jacksonville, TX, 75766.