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.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Local organizations in Augusta are working to keep veterans housed through a federal program called Supporting Services for Veterans Families.

The program, known as SSVF, is administered locally through the CSRA Economic Opportunity Authority.

Army veteran Shania Jones said she had reached a low point before connecting with the program.

“I had gave up, you know, I was feeling hopeless,” Jones said.

She joined the U.S. Army in 2019. She said she is now closing on a home and recently started school.

Veterans describe housing instability after service

Navy veteran Stephen Thompson served from 1988 to 2007 and is a Gulf War veteran.

He said housing instability after leaving the military can go unrecognized.

“You can go 20 years and have these issues and don’t even know you got these issues because you’ve done it so long, you begin to think it’s normal,” Thompson said.

He said he was moving between family members and sleeping on couches before receiving help.

Navy veteran Anthony Prince, who served three years, said awareness is a barrier.

“There’s a lot of veterans out here homeless because they don’t know about the programs,” Prince said.

Caseload growing at CSRA EOA

Khristy Murray, director of veteran services at CSRA EOA, said the number of veterans the program serves has increased.

“We went from serving 280 last year. Right now, I want to say we’re up to about 310,” Murray said.

Murray said the organization conducts outreach across a wide area.

“We do outreach. We serve 23 counties, from here to Athens, and then from here to Statesboro,” Murray said.

Thompson said the program’s impact on him motivated him to help others.

“Having seen what she’d done for me, it sort of gave me the desire to do for another veteran,” Thompson said.

Several other organizations in the area are also working to house veterans, including a tiny home village and the Veterans Villa.

The easiest way to reach them is by telephone at 706-364-6548, or at www.csraeoa.com .