Collaboration is at the heart of our work at the Center for Prevention of Abuse for formidable reason that we can accomplish so much more together than we can alone.
Thank you for all the times you have personally collaborated with CFPA by donating your time, talent, and treasure, or educating your tribe about the incredible work done by this agency’s team – day in and day out – preventing and responding to abuse. It is not easy to talk about the ways people are abused, but CFPA’s dedicated team of professionals do it very well. We care deeply about
you, your friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues. We are here for all people, even when it is hard to talk. When a victim is ready to receive hope and healing, so are we.
It is important for you to know, CFPA’s funding has been threatened. We know of massive cuts in Federal funding continuing to come our way. Funding that pays for essential services like medical advocacy when a victim presents at a local hospital because of domestic violence, sexual assault or human trafficking, trauma therapy for victims of all ages, and so much more. The Federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding was slashed approximately 50% in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, and it will be cut again by about 30-35% more in Fiscal Year 2025. These cuts affect victim service
providers across the country. At CFPA alone, this represents nearly $1 Million in lost Federal funding. The Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA) is deeply affected by these cuts, as are their membership, thirty-one rape crisis centers in Illinois, like CFPA. On March 20, ICASA hosted a rally in Springfield, Illinois at the state’s capitol, to rev up support for those who are imploring their state legislators to increase state funding for ICASA for the first time in 20 years in the FY25 Illinois budget. Such an increase is practical, justifiable, and it will help offset the damage done by the Federal cuts.
The Center for Prevention of Abuse is proud to stand in solidarity, and in community with survivors, and advocates, and with the policy makers who truly see the value in the work we do, helping communities, helping neighborhoods, helping people – and their families – heal while working to prevent future abuse from happening through important prevention education. We celebrate the supportive lawmakers who represent those we serve — policymakers who stand with us to say that we do not tolerate sexual violence or domestic abuse while publicly showing their support by appropriately increasing funding and supporting centers like CFPA, however and whenever they can. They do not discredit the pain endured by so many of the people that they represent. But this is not every lawmaker, unfortunately.
If you are interested in working together with CFPA by supporting the request to increase ICASA’s state funding in the Illinois budget, you can consider reaching out to the state legislators who represent the district where you live and encourage their validation of this financial request. If you are unsure how to go about that, you can choose to visit the website for the Illinois State Board of Elections at elections.il.gov. If you are compelled to donate directly to CFPA, please visit our website at centerforpreventionofabuse.org to learn more. Your investment here is sound since ninety-one cents of every dollar goes to direct care of clients. Thank you for standing with CFPA in the belief that every person has the right to dignity, respect, and peace. That collaboration is key.
