By Marette Mendoza
marette.mendoza@azcapitoltimes.com
The Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education was notified last week by the U.S. Department of Justice that it would no longer receive the department’s Legal Assistance to Victims grant that helped fund domestic shelters and legal aid agencies in Arizona. 
“While we understand the Department of Justice never intended to provide ongoing funding, we are painfully aware that the need hasn’t stopped,” said Chris Groninger, research and policy specialist for the foundation in a recent news release.
Now, the non-profit organization is working to generate funds to continue these services.
“We are calling on the community to help,” said Lara Slifko, resource development director for the foundation. “This is domestic violence awareness month, so it is more ironic that we receive the news this month, it is tragic.
“We have to find the partners to support these services to the state.”
The grant, which provided $391,000 to the foundation over the last several years, partly funded the Arizona Domestic Violence Legal Assistance program.  The program consists of 16 domestic shelters and three legal aid agencies.  Together, these shelters and agencies helped more than 6,000 victims remedy their legal issues. 
Without funding, the foundation may be forced to make staff cutbacks, Slifko said in an e-mail.
“It is very likely that many of the shelters and legal aid agencies will have to let go of staff because of the funding cut back.
“We are looking to raise money to help fund this shortage for them,” she added.
Slifko said the foundation could not speak as to why the funding was cut for the program, which has been running successfully for 10 years, but did cite shortages in federal funds as a possibility.