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On Monday night, Randi Bregman, a co-executive director of Vera House, brought a client to the hospital when no other staff could. Angela Douglas, another Vera House co-executive director, escorted a separate client to the hospital last week.

“What you might think is a typical day for co-executive directors, is anything but,” Bregman said.

Vera House, an organization that offers emergency shelter, advocacy and counseling for survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse, is facing a financial crisis due to the pandemic and the “Great Resignation” — a term that refers to the economic trend where American workers resigned from their jobs in 2021. Private organizations are pulling their staff away by offering higher pay.

Bregman (right) and Douglas (left) have seen a rise in cases during the pandemic, which involve issues such as sexual abuse and financial hardship. COURTESY OF RANDI BREGMAN AND ANGELA DOUGLAS

“The staff left because the work is overwhelming and exhausting, and amidst the general COVID overwhelm and exhaustion, some people have left,” Bregman said. “Other people left because COVID made people reconsider their lives.”

Bregman and Douglas have seen a rise in cases during the pandemic, which involve issues such as sexual abuse and financial hardship. With a shortage of staff, it’s difficult to assist everyone who seeks services from Vera House, the two said.

“We’re experiencing (funding) cuts. Vera House has made a commitment to retain all of our staff because we need them, and we need all of our positions filled to deliver the services,” Douglas said. “We need the staffing in order to be sustainable and do our best work, but the funding cuts make the tension greater.”

Vera House also lost a $125,000 grant for an elder abuse program, Douglas said. The two are committed to reforming the organization to also provide care and sustainability to their staff.

“We, looking into 2022, said we want to recruit staff at the level we think they deserve to be earning at the organization,” Bregman said. “And we want to address equity issues in the organization and retain the staff we have, so we committed to invest in that coming into 2022 even though we didn’t have the income to support it.”

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Vera House currently has a budget for $6 million but is only receiving $5.5 million for 2022, Bregman said.

“We’re hoping and praying that the community is able to rally around to offer additional support to us and that we’re able to find some more long term sustainable funding through grants and other opportunities,” Bregman said.

Survivors who have used Vera House services are grateful yet concerned about the organization.

Aneesah Evans, a 41-year-old woman, discovered Vera House in high school but thought the organization only helped those who have experienced physical violence. She didn’t realize that Vera House offered different kinds of support until she was 26.

Evans currently participates in family therapy through Vera House. Evans’ therapist asked her children if they understood why they were there, but they were unaware about the situation.

“Once he started explaining the purpose of Vera House, then I had to explain the history,” Evans added. “I never really talked to my kids about what was happening between me and their dad. I felt like that was something that they didn’t need to hear from me. And I don’t like the idea of parents bashing one parent to the other, no matter how horrible it was, so I kept a lot in.”

With Vera House’s cut in funding, Evans felt anxious about their ability to support patients.

Other survivors who’ve used Vera House’s services, such as Bhutanese refugees Man Gurung and Monu Chhetri — both of whom are deaf — shared how Vera House has helped bring them to safety.

“I was in an abusive situation with my husband, and so I went to the shelter. Some of the services I got were social work services. They helped pay for my groceries and provided clothing for me,” Gurung said through sign language interpretation.

Gurung has also received support during the pandemic. She said that Vera House provided assistance in navigating her children through online schooling.

Chhetri arrived in the U.S. in 2011 and has been using Vera House services since 2012. Not knowing the American culture and language, she faced many challenges. Vera House provided her social work services, assistance in court, interpreters and other services in an accessible way, she said through sign language interpretation.

But Chhetri noticed that the services are not as efficient as they used to be.

“It is getting harder to receive services. It’s harder to contact people when you need them. It’s not as accessible as it was before,” she said. “Before, whatever you needed, things would happen very quickly, but now unfortunately if someone is in an abusive situation, with COVID happening and (a) reduction in staff, there’s some people who aren’t able to get services.”

Chhetri eventually returned to Vera House as a survivor and is working with the Deaf New Americans Advocacy Office to provide support for deaf people.

Alena Cerro, a project manager for audio, film and TV at the New York Times, was also concerned about Vera House’s financial deficit. Cerro was shocked that Vera House had to transition mainly online. She said it was difficult to watch from afar as she knew the strain on the staff was growing.

Cerro, originally from Liverpool, started using Vera House services in 2014 after being sexually assaulted, and continued through 2015. She was also offered advocacy and shelter services from the organization.

“I wouldn’t be here without Vera House,” Cerro said.

Cerro said she wishes she could contribute more to Vera House services. She noticed the higher demand for Vera House’s services are more extreme cases of violence and abuse, and some of their programs have little to no funding.

Douglas acknowledged the staff is just as important as their survivors. She doesn’t want her staff to burn out but also recognizes they are similar to essential workers.

“For those folks who may be in pain from harm that has happened to them that they are really not alone — we are here 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Douglas said. “There are no snow days for us and it’s just important for (people) to know that regardless of the times, Vera House will always be the beacon that it’s always been.”

Published on February 6, 2022 at 10:46 pm

Contact Ivana: ixie01@syr.edu