As a result, the shelter will be closed during the day-time hours.
A local shelter for victims of domestic violence will be open overnight but closed during the day. Mandy Sullivan-Dyke, with the Ross County Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said this is because their $50,000 shelter grant through the Office of Criminal Justice Services was not renewed this year. The coalition learned the grant had not been renewed at the end of June, while the grant was to go into effect on July 1st. According to Sullivan-Dyke, the grant accounted for about 50% of the shelter's funds.
As a result, Sullivan-Dyke said the shelter will be operational only from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. beginning Monday.
"It's something that, yes, we have to do, but we're hoping to be able to rectify that situation through other sources sooner rather than later," she said. "We don't want this to be a permanent thing."
Sullivan-Dyke said they are trying to utilize volunteers and are seeking other grants. In addition, they welcome community donations at P.O. Box 1727, Chillicothe.
The shelter, which can house 17 individuals, is usually largely occupied, and it's important to keep it open all day, said Sullivan-Dyke.
"A lot of times these women are pretty much hunted, somebody's out there looking for them, and it's going to be easier to find them if it's during the day."
