Cape County commissioners approve funding to domestic violence shelter

Cape Girardeau County commissioners approved disbursement of more than $16,000 to the Safe House for Women in Cape Girardeau on Thursday.

The Safe House for Women will receive $16,513.22 from funds collected by the courts that go to local domestic violence shelters. The funds will be disbursed in two equal payments of $8,256.81, one in January and the other in July.

Jessica Hill, executive director of the Safe House for Women, said she appreciated the funding.

“It is a very useful source of unrestricted funds for us,” Hill said. “We’re able to supplement our grant income with those fees. They pay for things that aren’t covered by our grants.”

The money will help fund various client-assistance needs, such as transportation assistance to help someone escape an abuser and replacing important documents such as Social Security cards and birth certificates. The funds also allow the Safe House for Women to provide child care assistance while women are job hunting.

“That’s not something we have grant funding for,” Hill said. “For our shelter residents who are job seeking, we provide two weeks of child care assistance for them to go and do interviews, orientation and that kind of thing before they can qualify for state child care subsidy assistance.”

Other business

• Approved vacation rollover for two county employees
• Approved the appointment of Charlie Herbst to the Cape Girardeau Area Magnet Board.