When survivors reach out for help, they are taking one of the bravest steps of their lives. They are choosing healing. They are choosing safety. They are trusting that someone will be there to answer.
But this year’s proposed Pennsylvania state budget sends a different message.
A $0 increase is unacceptable.
For years, rape crisis centers across our Commonwealth have done more with less — answering hotline calls in the middle of the night, sitting beside survivors in emergency rooms, providing counseling, advocacy, and prevention education that makes our communities safer. Yet the Department of Human Services Rape Crisis line item has remained largely flat while costs rise, demand increases, and staff work tirelessly to meet growing needs.
Let me be clear: Flat funding is a cut, and legislators have the power to fix it.
The Reality Behind the Numbers
Across Pennsylvania’s 47 rape crisis centers, advocates are responding to survivors every single day. Last year alone, centers served more than 25,000 people, provided over 119,000 hours of counseling, and answered more than 17,000 hotline calls, roughly one call every 30 minutes.
Behind each number is a person who deserves support without delay.
When funding fails to keep pace with reality, it creates longer waitlists, fewer prevention programs, and additional strain on a workforce already stretched thin. Survivors are not statistics. They are our neighbors, our children, our families, and they cannot wait while budgets remain stagnant.
Government Can Be a Force for Good, If We Choose Action
In the Governor’s budget address, we heard that “government can be a productive force for good in people’s lives”. Rape crisis centers are exactly that force. They show up at 3 a.m. when survivors have nowhere else to turn. They provide prevention education that stops violence before it starts. They build safer communities across all 67 counties of Pennsylvania.
Values are reflected in budgets. Right now, the absence of meaningful investment sends a painful message to survivors and advocates alike. This budget says they are not valued.
We have called for a $12.5 million increase, an investment that would stabilize staffing, reduce wait times, and strengthen the infrastructure survivors rely on every day. The General Assembly still has an opportunity to act, and we are urging legislators to step forward.
How You Can Help Right Now
The PCAR Bridge Fund
While we continue to advocate for long-term state investment, we know survivors cannot wait for policy timelines to catch up to urgent need.
That is why we launched the PCAR Bridge Fund — a way for communities, partners, and supporters to help sustain survivor services in Pennsylvania during this critical moment. Donations to the Bridge Fund directly support the work of rape crisis centers and the statewide advocacy needed to protect and expand these life-saving services.
If you believe that healing should not depend on a line item in a budget, I invite you to stand with us: pcar.org/open-letter.
Donate. Share. Speak up.
Contact Your Legislators
Contact your legislators today and tell them that a $12 million increase means supporting survivors. Survivors cannot wait.
Find your legislator here:
www.palegis.us/find-my-legislator
Together, we can bridge the gap between what survivors in Pennsylvania need today and the investment the Commonwealth must make tomorrow.
Sign Our Open Letter
We encourage you to review and sign our open letter to the Pennsylvania General Assembly. This unified state-wide message lets legislators know that our community stands with survivors.
Sign today at pcar.org/open-letter.
This Moment Calls for Courage
Budgets reflect who we choose to protect and prioritize. Survivors are doing exactly what we ask of them: reaching out, seeking support, and choosing healing. Now it is our responsibility, as leaders, as lawmakers, and as communities, to ensure that support is there when they need it.