MILWAUKEE — From a 24-hour hotline to an emergency crisis shelter, Sojourner Family Peace Center provides prevention and intervention services for victims of domestic abuse. 

President and CEO Carmen Pitre said the nonprofit served over 9,000 people last year.

Pitre said her team is able to continue this work thanks to monetary support. She said the nonprofit receives a healthy mix of private and government funding. 

That’s why it was alarming to hear Tuesday that President Donald Trump would freeze federal grants.

“We would have to make hard decisions on how we would continue our work,” Pitre said. “We would be appealing to our supporters, our volunteers, to assist us.”

On Wednesday, the Trump Administration rescinded the order freezing federal grants. That left many nonprofits in the Milwaukee area confused. 

“It’s important to be calm and take a position of analyzing, watching, looking at and looking for the facts,” Pitre said. “I think that’s how I’m choosing to walk through this.”

Spectrum News reached out to several nonprofits including Revitalize Milwaukee, which provides critical home repairs to low-income seniors, veterans and people with disabilities. 

“Yesterday’s events unleashed a wave of chaos and fear that disproportionately impacted our most vulnerable communities-low-income seniors, veterans and people living with disabilities,” Revitalize Milwaukee’s President and CEO Melanie Roach said. “In times of uncertainty, those already facing barriers to stability are often the first to feel the effects of turmoil. Their struggle for safety, security, and basic needs becomes all the more urgent as they navigate a world that can seem indifferent to their challenges.”

Pitre said she’s choosing to stay calm and remember the mission behind her work. 

“This strikes at the heart of the safety net we’ve built,” Pitre said. “We’re here to keep the light on for people who’ve been traumatized by family violence and intimate relationships who are near murdered, set on fire, threatened with guns. Any disruption in the ability to provide that is a concern for us. That’s not going to stop. Sojourner won’t leave or go anywhere. The work will be harder.” 

She said through all of this, she’s continuing to update her staff and have conversations with the board on what the future looks like in case the nonprofit does lose federal funding.

During the pandemic, Pitre said Sojourner had to pivot; she said that’s what they will do if any changes are made.