TOLEDO, Ohio — The state of Ohio is giving nearly a million dollars to 48 domestic violence shelters and coalitions across the state.
The money will be used to keep life-saving services available to those who need to escape dangerous environments.
Bethany House in Toledo received just over 17,000 dollars.
The money will go towards the shelter's operating costs such as payroll, utilities and insurance.
"We haven't been able to do our traditional fundraising efforts and just with everyone being struggling financially at this point, to know that we got some sense of security there from the state has been really helpful," Bethany House Executive Director Deidra Lashley said.
Lashley says this is the first time the state has created a domestic violence line item, so it feels like representatives are supporting and investing in their important services.
The funds will cover Bethany House for the next two months and they'll have to reapply for the funds in June.
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