MOREHEAD, Ky. — As October brings national attention to domestic violence awareness, a Morehead-based organization dedicated to helping survivors is confronting financial pressures that could affect its ability to provide essential services throughout the region.
DOVES, a nonprofit domestic violence shelter headquartered in Morehead, assists individuals and families experiencing domestic violence in Rowan, Morgan, Menifee, Montgomery and Bath counties.
The organization is among approximately 15 domestic violence shelters serving communities across Kentucky.
However, reductions in federal funding, increasing operating expenses and the unique challenges facing survivors in rural Appalachia are placing additional demands on the organization.
Federal Funding Reductions Force Difficult Decisions
DOVES Executive Director Kelli Petronella, who has worked with the organization for more than 20 years, recently discussed the shelter's financial challenges in an interview with WKYT.
According to Petronella, federal funding reductions in 2025 eliminated grant support that had helped DOVES provide important community outreach services, including assistance with housing for domestic violence survivors.
The loss of that funding has forced the nonprofit to reevaluate how it delivers services while attempting to maintain the level of assistance that survivors have come to depend upon.
Operating with fewer financial resources has meant making difficult decisions about programs and expenditures.
Meanwhile, the demand for shelter services has not disappeared.
Petronella indicated that DOVES was operating slightly above its capacity at the time of the interview.
Rising Expenses Add to Financial Burden
Like households and businesses throughout Eastern Kentucky, domestic violence shelters are feeling the effects of increasing prices.
For an organization responsible for providing food, utilities, shelter and other necessities to individuals and families in crisis, those expenses can be substantial.
Petronella noted that purchasing groceries for 38 people represents a significant weekly expense, particularly as food prices and utility costs continue to strain the shelter's budget.
Unlike traditional households, emergency shelters must remain prepared to accommodate people who may arrive with little more than the clothing they are wearing.
Survivors frequently require more than temporary housing. Their needs may include food, clothing, transportation assistance, safety planning and support as they work toward establishing independent lives.
Rural Appalachia Presents Additional Obstacles
For individuals attempting to escape domestic violence in Eastern Kentucky, finding a safe place to go can be particularly complicated.
Transportation is one of the most significant obstacles.
In communities without readily available rideshare services or reliable public transportation, simply reaching a domestic violence shelter can be difficult.
Geographic isolation, limited financial resources and the distances separating rural communities can further complicate efforts to leave an abusive relationship.
Petronella also pointed to religious and cultural considerations that sometimes influence a person's decision to remain in an unsafe domestic situation.
These challenges highlight the importance of maintaining accessible domestic violence services in rural communities, where alternatives may be limited.
For some survivors, organizations such as DOVES may represent one of the few available pathways to safety.
A Need That Extends Beyond October
Domestic Violence Awareness Month is observed annually in October, bringing increased attention to the experiences of survivors and the organizations working to protect them.
However, the need for emergency shelter, advocacy and financial assistance continues throughout the year.
Petronella told WKYT that feedback received from individuals leaving DOVES frequently demonstrates the impact the organization has had on their lives.
Survivors have described the shelter as a place where they found safety, received support for themselves and their children, and gained knowledge that helped them begin rebuilding their lives.
Some have expressed gratitude for knowing they could return to DOVES without fear of being judged should they ever need assistance again.
Those experiences underscore what is at stake when organizations providing emergency domestic violence services face financial uncertainty.
Although October provides an opportunity to raise awareness, Petronella hopes community support will continue long after Domestic Violence Awareness Month concludes.
How the Community Can Help
DOVES relies on community involvement and financial support to help sustain its mission of assisting domestic violence survivors across its five-county service area.
Residents, businesses, civic organizations and other community partners interested in supporting the shelter can learn more about upcoming events, donation opportunities and available services through the organization's website.
Visit DOVES online: https://dovesofgateway.org/
Individuals experiencing domestic violence can also contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
For survivors of domestic violence, access to a safe environment and compassionate support can make a life-changing difference.
For organizations such as DOVES, continued community support helps make those services possible.
Source attribution: This article incorporates information originally reported by WKYT, including its interview with DOVES Executive Director Kelli Petronella. The Morehead Minute did not independently conduct the interview.