October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. While the focus for advocacy organizations remains on helping victims, their attention is also on Washington, D.C.

The government shutdown continues to impact organizations across the country, including those who help victims of domestic abuse.

Michelle Brown, the executive director of the Domestic Abuse Project of Delaware County (DAP), said it has been forced to implement a hiring freeze, and it has yet to receive any funds from FEMA, which is used to pay the mortgage for their emergency shelter, which houses more than 30 abuse survivors.

She said there has also been no communication with the government agency during the shutdown, leading to growing concerns about how their work could change if the shutdown drags on any longer.

"The

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