Businesses and organizations around the state are shuttering their doors in response to mandates to stay at home during the COVID-19 crisis.
“One of the services that CAPSA provides is an emergency shelter. With this pandemic, we have had to institute policies around reducing the number of folks that we can have in our shelters. In addition to having to reduce our capacity in our emergency shelter, we’ve seen an increase in the number of folks requesting help," said Jill Anderson, the executive director of CAPSA, the domestic violence and rape recovery center in Cache and Rich counties.
Anderson said the COVID-19 pandemic has created a spike in domestic violence cases.
“So in times of national crisis we know historically that domestic violence and sexual assault increase. While many organizations and businesses are slowing down with what they’re doing, CAPSA is ramping up it’s services," Anderson said.
In an attempt to accommodate the new challenges and increased need driven by the COVID-19 outbreak, CAPSA worked with the Real Salt Lake Foundation, the charitable arm of the Real Salt Lake soccer team to move ahead quickly on a planned expansion.
“Initially that project was intended to be used as affordable housing for survivors. It would be a part of our housing program where we help people get back on their feet, but given the crisis, we transitioned that project into an extension of our emergency shelter," Anderson said.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, you can reach out to CAPSA through their 24 hour crisis line at 435-753-2500. Donations are accepted at CAPSA.org.
