Faces of Hope provides free support and legal counsel for current and former victims of abuse – roughly 7,500 people since 2016.
The nonprofit moved out of the Ada County Victim Services Center last year and has since established two new branches in Boise and Meridian.
Since 2019, federal funding for abuse services in Idaho via the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) decreased from 12 million dollars per year to just under five million.
Paige Dinger is Faces of Hope’s executive director. She says even successful recent fundraisers aren’t making up for the loss of federal dollars.
They’ve had to lay off employees, but Paige says Faces of Hope is determined to keep both locations open.
“It's not an option for us to lock the doors and turn out the lights and leave because we don't want to leave anybody stranded,” Dinger said. “Because of this national trend, and the declining federal support, we just want everybody to realize that survivors can't wait.”
Dinger hopes legislators and community members will take notice of the funding cuts. In the meantime, the organization is planning further outreach events and searching for new funding sources.
