Advocates call on state leaders to release critical funding and invest in life-saving services for survivors.
HARRISBURG, Pa. — In a virtual briefing held today, the Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect (PCAR) and leaders from rape crisis centers across the Commonwealth urged state lawmakers to act swiftly to end the budget impasse and restore funding for programs that provide lifesaving support for survivors of sexual assault.
The briefing, “Rape Crisis Centers in Crisis: Advocates Call on State Leaders to Act as Funding Delays Continue,” brought together representatives from Pennsylvania’s network of 47 rape crisis centers, who described the devastating impacts of months without state funding and five years without a budget increase.
“Every day this budget remains unfinished; survivors pay the price,” said Yolanda Edrington, CEO of the Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect. “To keep their doors open, centers are maxing out credit cards, taking on loans, and making painful cuts to staff and services.”
Renee Reitz, Executive Director of the Blackburn Center in Westmoreland County, said programs are being forced to make impossible choices right now. “We want to do everything we can for the survivors we serve. Right now, the reality is we cannot afford some of the basic needs they are coming to us with.”
“For many survivors, we are their only option,” said Marlene Austin, Executive Director of PASSAGES, Inc, which serves Clarion, Clearfield, and Jefferson Counties. Her staff of eight serves a three-county area roughly the size of the state of Delaware. “We cannot be stretched any thinner than we already are. Survivors and communities are not getting the critical services they need. We have vital partners—hospitals, law enforcement, and schools—who depend on us.”
“We are the only rape crisis center in Philadelphia—one of the six largest cities in our country,” said Laquisha Anthony, Senior Manager of Advocacy at WOAR – Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence. She described drastic layoffs that reduced WOAR’s staff from thirty employees to five. “We had to disrupt counseling and therapy services for clients, forcing us to find alternative providers for 121 active clients,” Anthony said. “We cannot meet the need that exists right now. We implore you to pass the budget—and to recognize that the funding we have right now is not enough.”
Jennifer Pencek, Executive Director of Centre Safe, serving Centre County, described how her organization—which provides services for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking—is forced to weather both the state’s budget impasse and the federal government shutdown. “Without this funding, we cannot adequately respond to the situations our communities are facing,” Pencek said. “The time is now. All centers are at that critical breaking point.”
Edrington closed the briefing with a call for unity and urgency. “We all recognize that sexual violence is not a partisan issue—it’s a matter of safety, dignity, and justice for every Pennsylvanian,” she said. “Let’s pass a budget now that keeps services open, invests in survivors, and demonstrates our shared commitment to the well-being of all Pennsylvanians.”
PCAR continues to call for an $8 million increase to the Department of Human Services line item for rape crisis services to ensure that all 47 rape crisis centers can continue to provide critical, life-saving support to survivors across the Commonwealth.
About PCAR
The Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect (PCAR) is the statewide division of Respect Together. PCAR partners with a network of rape crisis centers that serve all 67 counties in the commonwealth providing support to survivors and promoting safe, respectful communities.