BRICK -- A transitional housing and support program for domestic violence victims announced it would shutter after 25 years of helping local women and children.

An official with Dottie's House, a Brick-based support program, announced it would close its doors on Oct. 15, according to the organization's Facebook page .

The organization served not just women and children in Ocean County, but families from across New Jersey, the organization's President Mary Furmato said in a phone interview. But declining donations, shrinking grants and rising costs made continuing the program untenable, she said.

"There are other organizations out there that try to help domestic violence (victims), but our transitional program was very different," said Furmato. "It gave the women an opportunity to empo

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