March has been a strange and frightening month for everyone and while many have been working from home, MSP front-line staff are essential employees and continue to support the many families we serve . Unfortunately, another repercussion of Covid-19, and stay-at-home orders, is an increase in domestic violence. This CNN article describes how, " As the coronavirus pandemic forces countries everywhere to take unprecedented steps to  restrict the movement of their citizens , victims of domestic violence have suddenly found themselves trapped at home with their abusive partners . Some are unable -- or too afraid -- to call the police, experts say." We have certainly seen an increase in calls and expect that after stay-at-home orders are lifted, we will see a huge increase in survivors seeking help. This Mother Jones article noted that, " For weeks, experts and advocates have been  raising   alarms  that the coronavirus outbreak could be disastrous for people in abusive relationship s."

The coronavirus has also led MSP to cancel a planned fundraising event scheduled for June. As loyal supporters of our work, we hope that you will help us fill this void by supporting our work now, so that we are well prepared to respond to the onslaught of survivors we expect will need our help once they are able to leave their homes.

We truly appreciate your generosity, life-saving funds help MSP provide essential programs that ensure families fleeing domestic violence find safety and lives free from violence.