Addressing Critical VOCA Funding Cuts with Rosa Beltré, Doug Stephens, Elyse McConnell, Catherine Harper Lee, Gwen Howe-Gebers, Danielle Vandegriff, and Mary O'Doherty

Welcome to a special bonus episode of Teal Talk! Organizations across Ohio are facing unprecedented cuts to the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) fund, threatening the availability and quality of services for victims of crime across our communities. These cuts directly impact essential services such as rape crisis support, advocacy at prosecutors' offices, and shelter for survivors of domestic violence.

 

To address these challenges and advocate for immediate action, we hosted a live broadcast featuring coalition leaders from victim-services organizations across the state. This broadcast happened April 24th on Facebook and Youtube, and provided a platform for our statewide leaders to discuss the potentially devastating impact of VOCA cuts on our communities. Moderated by our very own President and CEO Rosa Beltré, this crucial discussion was to raise awareness about the urgency of this issue and urge lawmakers to prioritize funding for victim-services organizations. Rosa was joined by Doug Stephens, Executive Director at OhioCASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocates); Elyse McConnell, Executive Director, Ohio Victim Witness Association; Catherine Harper Lee, Founder and Executive Director, Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center; Henry County Prosecutor, Gwen Howe-Gebers, of the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association; Danielle Vandegriff, CEO and Executive Director, Ohio Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers; and Mary O’Doherty, Executive Director, Ohio Domestic Violence Network.

Follow OAESV on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@oaesv and on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @OhioAllianceESV. Sign up for our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mailing list⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or read a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠transcript⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ of this episode. And remember, we’re here to help. Feel free to call our resource line at 888.886.8388 during regular business hours, or the Ohio Sexual Violence Helpline 24/7 at 844.644.6435.

This publication was supported by Rape Crisis Funding awarded by the Ohio Governor’s office, administered by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. The opinions, findings, conclusion, and recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Governor or the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.