AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – People who live in South Augusta are raising concerns about the future of the Family Y on Tobacco Road.

Officials say the facility has been operating at a loss for years, and have had a low number of memberships. The location also has a new owner. The cost of the lease is too high and the facility is also in need of renovations, which are said to be costly.

“The reality is we couldn’t afford the current lease that we were in,” said Catie McCauley, president and CEO of Family Y of Greater Augusta. “Over the last 10 years we’ve been subsidizing this lot. So we got to look at a model that we can sustain for the next several generations not just the next couple years.”

The location is set to close in October, but officials say they are working with community members and contractors for a new building that they can move into and are committed to staying in South Augusta.

Photojournalist credit: Gary Hipps

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – SafeHomes Augusta is facing a funding shortfall after Georgia lawmakers vetoed millions in domestic violence funding.

The nonprofit is the only 24-hour domestic violence shelter in the area, serving 10 counties from Augusta to Burke County to Taliaferro.

It costs approximately $1 million to operate a 24-hour shelter that meets Georgia standards, but SafeHomes only receives $647,000 in funding.

Lawmakers vetoed $9.4 million in domestic violence funding and $3 million for sexual assault centers.

Executive Director Aimee Hall said staff is bracing for what comes next.

“I think we’ll still be able to provide services. It’s just going to be on a lower scale. And that’s my concern because there’s so many people who need our services. Last year we provided services to over 1,700 men, women, and children,” Hall said.

Hall said the concern is not just about budgets but about the people who depend on the shelter around the clock.

“We’re not a nonprofit that can close. Domestic violence don’t happen between 8:00 and 5:00,” she said.

Becky Halioua, a survivor who first made contact with SafeHomes in 2015, said the resource likely saved her life.

She said she has continued to share her story in hopes it can help others.

“Nobody starts a relationship saying, well, I can’t wait for this person to put their hands on me,” Halioua said. “Domestic violence really has no face. And I think it’s important for people to know that it affects everybody.”

She said the reality of leaving an abusive situation is something many people do not consider.

“Just imagine if you had to just uproot your entire life suddenly in, you know, maybe the middle of the night and leave with just the clothes on your back,” Halioua said.

Hall said the most important thing the community can do right now is show up. SafeHomes is actively seeking volunteers, and Hall said time is just as valuable as financial donations.

Anyone interested in volunteering or donating can contact SafeHomes Augusta directly at 706-736-2499.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A stabbing incident at an Augusta McDonald’s left one person hospitalized on Thursday morning, according to officials.

Richmond County deputies responded to the McDonald’s on the 1400 block of Walton Way for reports of a stabbing at 8:23 a.m.

Deputies learned the stabbing occurred after an individual confronted several people in the business’s parking lot, deputies say.

The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment, according to the sheriff’s office.

Deputies say the suspect fled the scene on foot but was taken into custody a short time later by Road Patrol deputies.

The sheriff’s office says the incident remains under investigation.