Over 1,200 Survivors Served in a Single Day: KY Domestic Violence Counts Data Reveals Volume of Services, Unmet Needs

When we cannot serve all that reach out to us due to capacity or funding needs, it affects not only the victim, but also the community in which they live.”

— Angela Yannelli, ZeroV CEO

FRANKFORT, KY, UNITED STATES, May 21, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A recent national report reveals that though Kentucky’s 15 state-designated domestic violence programs served more

than 1,200 people in a single day last year, 70 requests for help went unmet due to a lack of resources. Kentucky’s domestic violence coalition, ZeroV, says this data from the 19th Annual Domestic Violence Counts Report highlights the importance of prioritizing funding for domestic violence services. 

For nineteen years, the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) Domestic Violence Counts report has been the premier trusted source of data on the lifesaving services domestic violence advocates provide to survivors every day.

“ZeroV domestic violence programs open their doors and hearts to serve anyone suffering from intimate partner violence, offering healing, resources, and a path forward to living a life free from violence,” says Angela Yannelli, CEO of ZeroV. “This data project offers a one-day snapshot that helps illustrate the important role that domestic violence services play in keeping our Commonwealth safe for all Kentuckians.”

On the survey day, participating programs in Kentucky: 

Served 1,268 adults and children with critical services and support.
Received 174 hotline contacts, sharing essential information and resources. 
Provided educational sessions and trainings to 105 members of the public. 

Tragically, on that same day, victims made 70 requests for services that programs could not provide because they lacked sufficient resources, funding, and/or staffing. Programs in Kentucky and nationwide need increased funding to support all survivors seeking help while also working toward preventing violence in our communities. The lack of adequate resources has devastating consequences for victims and survivors. Funding for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), and the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants are essential for programs, advocates, and survivors.

In addition to the need for more funding, ZeroV says recent changes at the federal level are also now threatening the existing federal funding and infrastructure that support domestic violence services across the nation. To rally support for protecting the critical federal funding and infrastructure that Kentucky’s domestic violence programs rely on to provide lifesaving services to survivors and their children, ZeroV has launched the Get Loud campaign.

“When we cannot serve all that reach out to us due to capacity or funding needs, it affects not only the victim, but also the community in which they live,” says Yannelli. “Now more than ever, we need to get loud for survivors, the domestic violence programs that serve them, and the lifesaving services that help keep them safe so that no Kentuckian suffers from intimate partner violence in silence.”

Additional resources must be provided, system-wide responses must be improved, and barriers to safety and justice must be eliminated to ensure that survivors are not left without resources and that no program is ever forced to turn away survivors or close their doors when faced with a decrease in funding. Learn more in the 19th Annual Domestic Violence Counts Report.