WA group says federal funding freeze threatens services for DV survivors

An executive order from President Donald Trump to freeze federal funding sent nonprofits nationwide into a frantic scramble.

In Washington, groups worked nonstop to understand the extent of the order, and to learn how soon the directive could force them to halt services covered by those federal dollars.

LifeWire is one of the many local groups navigating through the sudden change.

Will Washington organizations lose federal funding?

What they're saying:

"We’ve been around over 40 years now, and pretty much that entire time, the federal government has been one of our largest and most stalwart partners. And just to find out in a two-page memo that something like that can turn off like a light switch," said LifeWire spokesperson Patrick Martin. "We’re in a new world when it comes to federal partnerships, maybe."

"A prolonged freeze on federal payments risks catastrophic consequences for survivors, crippling our ability to meet their urgent needs and putting their safety and wellbeing directly at risk," said Janeira Bencosme-Gil, LifeWire's interim executive director.

The backstory:

LifeWire is an organization in east King County that provides immediate and emergency services for domestic violence survivors. After hearing news of the executive order, LifeWire began proactively working to protect life-saving services that are largely funded by federal dollars.

"We’ve served over 167,000 survivors of domestic violence. That’s everything from people calling the regional DV Hope Line. And we help them navigate if what they’re experiencing is DV, and if it is, safety planning and figuring out next steps for safety and stability. All the way to emergency and transitional shelter and advocacy services," said Martin. "Really, anything a survivor needs to be able to reach safety and stability, we partner with them on their journey."

LifeWire receives funding from King County and several partner cities. The group also has a network of community partners in the private sector, and local donors who support LifeWire’s important work.

However, those local dollars only fund part of LifeWire’s many services.

"Two-thirds of our funding comes from public services. And when it comes to federal funding, specifically, that comes from a variety of areas, like the Department of Justice, Housing and Urban Development, even FEMA in terms of how they’re passing some grants through United Way in our region," said Martin.

"This is far more than a budgetary concern — it is a matter of life and death for the survivors and families we serve," said Bencosme-Gil. "We call on the administration to immediately reverse this order and safeguard the programs that are vital to protecting families and saving lives."

The response from Washington leaders

The other side:

The sudden order from the White House claimed the pause is to ensure funds are "advancing administration priorities." However, others see differently; reasons why Washington joined a 21-state lawsuit against it.

Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown issued a statement, saying in part, "The White House justifies this damaging move with culture war alarmism, but in reality they’re robbing governments and service providers of funds that keep people safe and serve urgent needs in all of our communities."

The sudden change triggered swift action among LifeWire staff to reduce the potential disruption of life-saving services.

"In touch with our survivors, in touch with our teams making sure that they know we’re doing the work to make sure there is no interruption in that service," said Martin.

LifeWire is also working closely with the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence on guidance moving forward.

Officials with LifeWire said it was unclear when the federal financial freeze would happen and how much it would affect them, but said their work in helping domestic violence survivors would not change.

"When somebody calls and they need that immediate assistance, we’re good at figuring out how to think on our feet and meet needs quickly and effectively and efficiently. I have no doubt we’re going to do it in this situation as well," said Martin.

Why you should care:

National statistics show one in four women, and one in seven men experience physical violence from a partner in their lifetime.

"In recent years in Washington state, almost half of all crimes against persons in the state involved domestic violence. So, it’s a pervasive issue. It affects people from every religion, and cultural background, education level, income," said Martin.

As other local organizations and nonprofits navigate the executive order, Martin encouraged the community to get involved by volunteering and donating.

"It’s really getting back to the very beginning of our organization. It was a group of neighbors that saw a problem and stepped up to make a difference. And over the 40 years since, even though we’ve gotten a lot bigger in size and we’ve helped an awful lot of people, it’s still neighbors helping neighbors," said Martin. "It’s the neighbors that are right next door to you that can be your strongest partners."

The Source: Information comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Franque Thompson.

BEST OF FOX 13 SEATTLE

Where migrant ICE raids, arrests are already happening: List

Oldest running movie theater in WA closing, hoping to relocate

Toto, Christopher Cross, Men at Work to rock WA State Fair

What are the chances of a February snow storm in Seattle? Here's what we know

Is it illegal to warm your car up unattended in WA? Here's what you need to know

To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.

Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national coverage, plus 24/7 streaming coverage from across the nation.

SeattleDonald J. Trump