LIVONIA, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Wayne County nonprofit that provides critical services to domestic violence and sexual assault survivors is facing a funding crisis that could force it to turn away even more victims seeking help.
First Step, which has served survivors since 1978, held its annual gala Friday night at Laurel Manor in Livonia as the organization grapples with significant federal funding cuts and an uncertain future.
Watch Evan Sery's video report below:
"It feels like hope," said Jeni Hooper, interim executive director of First Step. "It feels like there's a lot of community."
The nonprofit relies heavily on federal funding from VOCA, the Victims of Crime Act, but Michigan received a 40% reduction from VOCA this fiscal year. First Step is now operating without a 2026 budget as federal funding has declined for the past decade while state funding has provided little to fill the gap.
"That's just it. Unfortunately, there have been cuts already and that's what's imminent. It's likely there are more cuts coming," Hooper said.
The funding crisis comes as domestic violence cases are becoming more severe. First Step reports that lethal cases, including strangulation and use of weapons, are on the rise in Michigan. The organization serves 6,000 to 7,000 people each year but has been forced to turn away 200 people or families every month this year due to a lack of beds.
"Closed doors, no services, inability to have their voices heard," Hooper said of what the funding cuts could mean.
The gala's keynote speaker was Jim Schmidt, the stepfather of Gabby Petito, who was murdered by her fiancé in 2021. Schmidt has been on a mission to raise awareness about domestic violence and share Petito's story.
"Organizations like First Step are overwhelmed with the need in trying to provide support and services," Schmidt said. "The issues of domestic violence, really it's an epidemic, worldwide, not just nationwide. Unfortunately, we're going in the wrong direction."
Also attending the event was Faith Brown, a domestic violence survivor whose ex-husband killed her four children in August 2016, two of them in front of her.
"There is a lot of emotions, because it brings you back to the things you have gone through," Brown said. "This is why we have these fundraisers, in hopes we can prevent these things."
Watch Faith Brown's story when we spoke with her last year below:
You can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799 7233, text "START" to 88788 or chat on their website.
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