$300,000 donation will help Sojourner Family Peace Center hire more restraining order advocates

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- As demand for restraining orders grows across Milwaukee County, Sojourner Family Peace Center is also seeing a need for more people to help victims file for them.

According to Carmen Pitre, Sojourner has seen an increase in calls this year, and is in need of more advocates to help with restraining orders. 

"We have not been able to keep pace with the number of people needing assistance," said Pitre. 

An anonymous donor has given them $300,000 to help bolster their restraining order program as domestic violence cases grow. 

According to the Milwaukee Police Department, they've seen a 44% increase in deadly domestic violence across the Milwaukee area. 

Sojourner will use the donation to hire five new employees. Four advocates and one coordinator. The employees will be able to help with everything from intimate partner violence to juvenile harassments. 

"The donor agreed to give us a gift for one year," said Pitre. "To hire four additional advocates who can help with the process. They also do safety planning which is part of talking with you about the reality that you're facing." 

The donation will fund the new positions for one year while Sojourner catches up with the growing need for help and thinks of innovative ways to meet the growing demand.