BKG Shelter continues to serve DV survivors amidst state funding questions following a temporary pause on federal grants and loans. On Tuesday the Baraba Kettle Gundlach Shelter home received notice from the Michigan Domestic Violence Services department it continues to communicate with the White House’s Office of Management and Budget on a recent pause to federal grants and loans.
It just says the Division of Victim Services is in the process of absorbing and understanding the recent directive regarding the pause of federal agency grants as of this morning, which is yesterday. We have not received any guidance or information from our federal partners on what grants or programs would be impacted. And of course, the DVS is very concerned about the uncertainty for us and our community and the survivors that we serve. They wanted to assure us that they were there on it and they know the important work we do and in our community and for victims and survivors and so they are certainly closely monitoring the situation. – Mary Niemala, Executive Director, Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter Home
Keweenaw Report reached out to Michigan Technological University, the BKG Shelter, Copper Shores Meals on Wheels, the City of Hancock, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, and the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department to confirm many local services will continue to operate after a federal Rhode Island judge temporarily blocked the Office of Management and Budget’s pause.
Yesterday afternoon the Trump administration rescinded OMB’s Monday memo, announcing it will continue to look into wasteful spending. Some non-profit services, local programs, and organizations receiving state grants noted those funds start at federal agencies.
The Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter Home operates using about 300,000 dollars from several state-funded grants. Executive Director Mary Niemala expressed that while those funds do settle much of the non-profit’s expenditures there are still gaps. Non-profits in the Copper Country often will use unrestricted gifts and donations to support programs or projects to fill gaps grant or loan funds cannot reach.
