A Desperate Call to Action
Dear Friends,
I am writing with urgency and deep concern. The safety and healing of South Carolina’s most vulnerable citizens—survivors of sexual assault, child abuse, and other violent crimes—are in serious jeopardy due to devastating proposed funding cuts at both the state and federal levels.
South Carolina State Budget Crisis
Both the South Carolina House and Senate have proposed budgets that eliminate all direct state funding for agencies like ours. Historically, this support came through earmarks—commonly called “community improvement projects” or, more recently, dismissed as “pet projects.”
Let me be clear: First Light is not a pet project.
State funding accounts for over 10% of First Light’s annual budget and directly supports essential, trauma-informed services for Anderson and Oconee County residents. In 2024, those services included:
1,149 free counseling sessions for children and adult victims
13,575 minutes of crisis intervention
458 forensic interviews for child victims of crime
50 pediatric forensic medical exams
This work is not optional —it’s required by law. In 2022, SC began requiring law enforcement and DSS to use NCA-accredited Children's Advocacy Centers (CACs) for investigating child abuse. As the only NCA-accredited CAC in Anderson and Oconee counties, that mandate led to a nearly 60% increase in First Light’s caseload. Yet, no recurring funding was allocated to meet that demand. And now, lawmakers propose to cut what support we do receive.
The SC Senate has already passed its budget without any earmarks, and the full SC Legislature is determined to pass a budget by May 8th. Some, like DOGE SC founder Rom Reddy, have defended these cuts, saying,
“In general, I am opposed to the government taking a citizen’s money and doing charitable things with it… It is not the government’s job to say, ‘Give me your tax dollars and let me do the charitable gift.’”
Again: Funding for First Light isn’t charity.
First Light’s services are legally mandated, and they are central to South Carolina’s child protection and criminal justice systems. Though we operate as a 501(c)3 nonprofit, we are fulfilling obligations the state itself has set. We are simply asking lawmakers to fund the very services they require by law.
If First Light can no longer operate due to these cuts, there will be no NCA-accredited CAC in the 10th Judicial Circuit to legally and appropriately interview child victims. What then? Will the state allow law enforcement and DSS to break its own child protection laws? Or will crimes against children simply go uninvestigated?
How steep will the price be for “[focusing] on the income tax reform rather than figuring out how to compromise on earmark spending”?
Federal Funding Instability
The situation is just as dire at the federal level.
On January 27, the Office of Management and Budget issued a memo freezing federal grant spending. Though the freeze was lifted two days later, mixed messages have created lasting uncertainty for grant-funded programs nationwide.
In April, the U.S. Department of Justice rescinded $811 million in grants mid-cycle, including funding for victim service programs, police training, and prosecutor resources. Many of these grants were funded through the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA).
VOCA is First Light’s single largest source of funding. Since 2020, we've lost over $500,000 in VOCA support, reducing our staff from 24 to 12. A 20% VOCA cut last year forced us to eliminate our internal counseling department and outsource therapy services, despite an 80% increase in total clients over the past six years.
We have applied for 2025–26 VOCA funding, but we’ve been told we may not receive a decision until August, just one month before our current grant ends. That gives us barely two months to plan for funding that accounts for over 40% of our budget and supports 10 of our 12 staff positions.
It’s important to note: VOCA is not funded by taxpayer dollars.
The Crime Victims Fund, created by Congress in 1984, is made up of fines, fees, and assessments paid by federal offenders. These funds are legally restricted to victim services. If VOCA funding is withheld, it will not save taxpayer dollars. It will not reduce government spending. It simply prevents these dedicated funds from reaching the survivors they were intended to help.
On top of that, the Department of Justice has withdrawn all VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) grant opportunities for the 2025–26 cycle. Although Congress has already authorized the funding through 2027, applications are currently suspended without explanation. VAWA funding accounts for nearly 10% of our agency’s budget, helps fund two staff positions, and supports our 24/7 crisis helpline.
Once more: First Light is not asking for charity.
We are asking our leaders to continue to distribute funds already set aside – by law – for the services survivors in our community rely on every day.
We Need You to Act—Now
Without restored state and federal funding, First Light will be forced to close its doors.
That means the 1,622 individuals we served last year—including 996 children—will have no one to call, no one to interview their child, no one to advocate for them, no one to provide free counseling, and no one to hold their hand in their darkest hours.
Our community is generous, but it cannot cover a $977,000 funding gap (more than 85% of our agency’s total revenue) year after year. And it shouldn't have to.
Nearly every elected official—federal, state, and local—campaigned on a promise to protect children and combat human trafficking. Now, when it’s time to fund the services that do exactly that, they are abandoning that promise and calling it “fiscal responsibility”.
Let’s remind them: they work for you.
Here's How You Can Help
Please contact your state and federal legislators and urge them to:
✅ Restore direct state funding for victim service agencies in South Carolina
✅ Stabilize and fully fund VOCA
✅ Reinstate and fully fund VAWA grant opportunities
Take action in three simple steps:
Find your state and federal representatives.
Call or email: Tell them why this matters. Feel free to use these scripts we’ve provided.
Share this message: Spread the word. Encourage your friends, family, and networks to act.
At First Light, we’ve stood with survivors for over 30 years, amplifying their voices and providing a platform when they need it most. Now, we need your help to make sure those voices are still heard.
When budgets are created at the expense of abused children and survivors of sexual violence, we must ask: What – and who – will be cut next?
Please act today. Survivors are counting on us.
With determination and gratitude,
Chelsey Hucker