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Portland Women's Crisis Line

Portland Women's Crisis Line

Portland Women's Crisis Line

Portland Women's Crisis Line
Thank you to the Meyer Memorial Trust for funding this website.

 

PWCL Press Release - March 22, 2010

March 22, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:  Kelsey Pine, Development Assistant
(503) 232-9751 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Crisis Line Streamlines Services in Response to Declining Revenues

PORTLAND, Oregon (March 22, 2010) – Plans are underway to restructure the Portland Women’s Crisis Line (PWCL) in response to current economic conditions that have strained the organization’s limited resources amid a steady demand for services.  The restructuring effort reflects the organization’s attempt to dramatically increase cash donations and community support during a recessionary period that has resulted in declining grant and donor-supported revenues.

“In our 38-year history we’ve seen recessions, but nothing like this.  The revenue losses have forced us to lay off staff at a time when we are responding to a jump in domestic violence-related fatalities,” said Rebecca Nickels, PWCL’s Executive Director. “We need to act quickly, and we need the community to get engaged.”

Overall the organization has suffered a 26% staff loss totaling $95,755 in the past 12 months.  In response to the budget deficit, PWCL staff is working to streamline its services to better respond to survivors of domestic and sexual violence.  To maintain current programs while transitioning through a rapid restructuring, the agency will need to raise a significant amount of money by the end of 2010.

“Domestic and sexual violence are issues that affect everybody, directly or indirectly, so it will take everyone to end it,” said Pam Pedersen, Crisis Line Specialist.  Twenty deaths since November 2009 as a result of domestic violence accelerated the call to restructure the organization.  Nationally, it is estimated that one in four women and one in 10 men will experience interpersonal violence in their lifetimes.  “This is hugely important to our community,” said City Commissioner Dan Saltzman, who led the effort to develop the state’s first domestic violence “one-stop” center to assist survivors. 
PWCL provides advocacy and support to survivors of domestic and sexual violence and receives approximately 26,000 calls to its Crisis Line every year.  In Oregon alone, one in six adult women – 230,000 - have been the victim of at least one forcible rape according to statistics compiled by the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. 

The International Special Events Society (http://www.isesportland.com/) along with Portland’s event planning community have come together to sponsor an event to benefit PWCL, Warehouse Supper Club: Safety In Numbers Goes Warehouse Chic, on April 22, 2010 at 6 p.m.  The event will take place at 1805 NW Thurman St. in a revamped warehouse space.

The Crisis Line operates 24 hours daily and can be contacted at (503) 235-5333 or (888) 235-5333. To donate to PWCL go to http://pwcl.org/donate/ or contact Kelsey Pine, Development Assistant in the PWCL business office at (503) 232-9751.  For volunteer information visit: http://pwcl.org/help/.

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PWCL Press Release - March 22, 2010

March 22, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:  Kelsey Pine, Development Assistant
(503) 232-9751 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Crisis Line Streamlines Services in Response to Declining Revenues

PORTLAND, Oregon (March 22, 2010) – Plans are underway to restructure the Portland Women’s Crisis Line (PWCL) in response to current economic conditions that have strained the organization’s limited resources amid a steady demand for services.  The restructuring effort reflects the organization’s attempt to dramatically increase cash donations and community support during a recessionary period that has resulted in declining grant and donor-supported revenues.

“In our 38-year history we’ve seen recessions, but nothing like this.  The revenue losses have forced us to lay off staff at a time when we are responding to a jump in domestic violence-related fatalities,” said Rebecca Nickels, PWCL’s Executive Director. “We need to act quickly, and we need the community to get engaged.”

Overall the organization has suffered a 26% staff loss totaling $95,755 in the past 12 months.  In response to the budget deficit, PWCL staff is working to streamline its services to better respond to survivors of domestic and sexual violence.  To maintain current programs while transitioning through a rapid restructuring, the agency will need to raise a significant amount of money by the end of 2010.

“Domestic and sexual violence are issues that affect everybody, directly or indirectly, so it will take everyone to end it,” said Pam Pedersen, Crisis Line Specialist.  Twenty deaths since November 2009 as a result of domestic violence accelerated the call to restructure the organization.  Nationally, it is estimated that one in four women and one in 10 men will experience interpersonal violence in their lifetimes.  “This is hugely important to our community,” said City Commissioner Dan Saltzman, who led the effort to develop the state’s first domestic violence “one-stop” center to assist survivors. 
PWCL provides advocacy and support to survivors of domestic and sexual violence and receives approximately 26,000 calls to its Crisis Line every year.  In Oregon alone, one in six adult women – 230,000 - have been the victim of at least one forcible rape according to statistics compiled by the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. 

The International Special Events Society (http://www.isesportland.com/) along with Portland’s event planning community have come together to sponsor an event to benefit PWCL, Warehouse Supper Club: Safety In Numbers Goes Warehouse Chic, on April 22, 2010 at 6 p.m.  The event will take place at 1805 NW Thurman St. in a revamped warehouse space.

The Crisis Line operates 24 hours daily and can be contacted at (503) 235-5333 or (888) 235-5333. To donate to PWCL go to http://pwcl.org/donate/ or contact Kelsey Pine, Development Assistant in the PWCL business office at (503) 232-9751.  For volunteer information visit: http://pwcl.org/help/.

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