Protect Survivor Services: A Call to Act in Massachusetts

Protect Survivor Services: A Call to Act in Massachusetts

By Stacy Malone
Executive Director, Victim Rights Law Center

Throughout VRLC’s history, we’ve navigated many funding and staffing headwinds, including recessions, a global pandemic, the Great Resignation, and hostile political landscapes. But the uncertainty we are facing right now is unlike anything we’ve experienced before.

As we await long-delayed federal grant opportunities to be posted by the Office on Violence Against Women, VRLC is also confronting a nearly $500k reduction to our Massachusetts legal services grants. This devastating cut would leave over 300 sexual assault survivors without access to critical legal services. And that’s just this year.

The need for survivor-centered legal advocacy in Massachusetts is significant. Nearly 1 in 5 women and over 6% of men across the Commonwealth experience sexual assault in their lifetimes. Survivors who are young, living with intellectual and development disabilities, immigrants, or LBGTQ+ face heightened risks and even greater barriers when seeking legal help. Over the years, VRLC has intentionally built a legal program designed to reduce those barriers and ensure these communities can access the legal support and justice they need. Now, these services are at risk.

How you can help

Your voice can help mitigate these cuts. The Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA) proposed The TRUST Fund as a permanent line item in the state budget, and we need your help to make sure it passes.

If you are a Massachusetts resident, we urge you to call or email your state Senator this week to request they cosponsor amendment #240 – The TRUST Line.

You can find your legislator here.  Here are helpful scripts for email and phone calls.

VRLC will weather this storm, and, despite these devastating cuts, we are resolved to meet this moment with the resilience and leadership. We will remain standing, but with your help, we can fight for the support we need to thrive for years to come.  

Stacy Malone, Esq., (she/her) has been VRLC’s Executive Director for over 15 years. She provides strategic direction to the organization and leadership to the gender-based violence movement.