Tulsa Domestic Abuse Program Loses Federal Funding

Tulsa's Family Safety Center is losing a huge grant. The federal government is not renewing a $750,000 grant that the center says would pay for the bulk of their funding for two years.

The Center says federal cutbacks are to blame. An emergency fund of $60,000 was provided by Tulsa's United Way and the George Kaiser Family Foundation, which the center says helps but not for long.

A domestic violence victim says the Family Safety Center saved her life, and she's afraid others won't get that help.

"Victoria" was in an abusive marriage for more than 17 years. The abuse began as physical, and then became verbal, mental, and emotional. She says she left…10 times.

"It's one of the hardest things you'll ever do because you become conditioned to believe that what you are living is normal even though you know it's not," Victoria said.

It took a phone call to the Family Safety Center to help her find the courage to leave for good.

"They pretty much had everything that I needed to feel safe and to give me hope that I could walk out of it and stay out of it," she said.

But now Victoria, who is thriving five years after walking away from the abuse, fears others in her abusive situation won't get that same support.

The FSC was notified that a two-year $750,000 federal grant would not be renewed. Tulsa's United Way and the George Kaiser Family Foundation provided an emergency fund of $60,000. FSC says that helps, but not for long.

"A month and a half basically. Our actual expenses are about $35,000 a month and that is bare bones. That will not even provide for some of the current services we have on site," said Deborah Shallcross of the FSC.

Shallcross says the center will always provide some source of help for victims. But less funding, means less help, which could cost a lot more down the road.

"If I had gone home that day and not have gotten the resources and the help I needed there, I would have gone back. And I don't know what would have happened after that," Victoria said.

From January 2011 to September, nearly 2,000 people were provided with protective orders from the center.