When Maria Briney needed help, the Alle-Kiski Area HOPE Center was there for her.
On Sunday, Briney, a survivor of domestic violence, was there to help the HOPE Center and two other organizations that together serve abuse victims in Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler and Westmoreland counties.
“Working for them actually saved my life,” said Briney, 53, of Gilpin.
Briney walked in the second Together for a Cause 5K, which brought about 135 participants to Pittsburgh Brewing Co. in East Deer. In addition to the HOPE Center, proceeds from the race and a vendor fair that followed inside and outside of the brewery benefitted Helping All Victims in Need, or HAVIN, in Armstrong County and the Victim Outreach Intervention Center, or VOICe, in Butler County.
“It was a nice day. We had a lot more runners than we did last year,” said Laurie Johns, executive director of HAVIN. “I think it’s a good collaboration between the three agencies that we’re working together and trying to raise awareness of domestic violence and sexual assault.”
The 5K was a first for Briney.
“Every step I took was for every man, woman and child who suffered at the hands of domestic violence,” Briney said.
VOICe held the first Together for a Cause 5K with HAVIN last year in Worthington, Armstrong County. It grew this year with the addition of the HOPE Center and the vendor fair, and moved to the brewery in East Deer, a location more central for all of them, said Tracy Veri, executive director of VOICe.
“It makes perfect sense for the three organizations to engage in this. This is that underserved area of of all of the counties,” said Michelle Gibb, executive director of the HOPE Center, based in Tarentum. “To bring the three of us together increases the opportunity for us to serve more folks.”
While a sunny and cool morning for a run or a walk, the goal of the day, Veri said, was mainly outreach and sharing their messages and services. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
At the HOPE Center, which serves northern Allegheny and northern Westmoreland counties, Gibb said she has been seeing an overall increase in domestic abuse.
“I attribute it some to the lessening of civility in our society,” she said. “We have to look for ways to build back some civility in how we treat other humans on the planet.”
Social media has been a “great equalizer” in abusive situations, making physical strength not the only way to hurt someone. Gibb recalled a man who lost friends and nearly his job because his ex was posting horrendous, personal and untrue things about him.
“You can do so much damage to a person without ever physically interacting with them,” Gibb said.
That they work only with women is a myth, Veri said. “Perpetrators are all people,” she said.
An example, she said, is that all who attended Donald Trump’s rally in July at the Butler Farm Show Grounds are considered survivors of a violent crime because they witnessed a murder — Corey Comperatore, of Buffalo Township, was killed by gunfire. VOICe has been offering counseling services to those who were there, the need for which may increase as the first anniversary draws near.
“Sometimes trauma doesn’t hit you until it’s down the road,” Veri said.
Johns said she has been seeing substance use and mental health issues factor into domestic violence situations.
“It takes a very long time for someone to get an appointment for any kind of mental health services,” she said. “The waiting lists are long. There’s not enough therapists to accommodate the number of people needing those services.”
The organizations rely on financial support, volunteers and donations to carry out their missions.
VOICe is 95% grant funded, the stability of which is now “up in the air,” Veri said.
“Events like today and the support we have keep our agencies up and running,” she said.
HAVIN has not had any federal grants affected yet, Johns said.
“I am uncertain if that’s going to remain the same,” she said. “At this moment we have not had any grants that have been pulled or taken away.”
The federal Victims of Crime Act, funded by criminal fines, is one source of income, Gibb said.
“We’re watching that closely,” Gibb said. “It has not been seeing the deposits into it that it has been in the past.”
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Donations of food, clothing, toiletries, cleaning products and diapers are on the organizations’ list of needs.
Volunteers are also always needed, whether to help with office tasks or be trained to help people.
“Whatever their interest is, we can find a place for them at HOPE,” Gibb said.
There is always a waiting list for the HOPE Center’s shelter, which Gibb expects to continue as people’s financial situations become more precarious. While the shelter has room for 30, another 30 to 50 are waiting.
“We have to triage by severity,” Gibb said. “If someone is imminently fleeing, they move to the top of the list.”
VOICe is fully staffed with 25 employees, and Veri said she does not want to reduce staff or the services they offer.
“A lot of other agencies across the state are not as fortunate,” she said.