A Dorchester organization with the goal of supporting homicide victims’ families and promoting peace is worried about the potential impact of state budget cuts.
Gov. Maura Healey's plan to slash $375 million from Massachusetts' budget is continuing to cause concern among local organizations.
The Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, based in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood, says the proposed cuts would reduce its funding by a third for Fiscal Year 2024, impacting hundreds of families across the commonwealth.
In the last five years, from 2018 to 2022, nearly 250 lives were lost to homicide in Boston. The institute says that these budget cuts would affect the grieving families it supports each year.
"It was really unfortunate to see that," said Alexandra Chéry-Dorrelus, co-executive director at the institute. "We have heard over and over again how much the state respects the work of the organization."
Chéry-Dorrelus says burial costs, survivor outreach and healing support are among the services the organization provides for families.
She knows, first-hand, the trauma they have experienced.
"Back in 1993, my brother, Louis Brown, was murdered on Dec. 20 on his way to a Teens Against Gang Violence Christmas party," Chéry-Dorrelus said.
Rachel Rodrigues, who is also a co-executive director, said it needs $1 million in state funding, with $400,000 of that going to burial costs alone.
"We normally receive $300,000 from the Massachusetts, and we work statewide," Rodrigues said. "This would mean a $100,000 cut in that funding."
The Executive Office for Administration and Finance says the $200,000 proposed is consistent with last year's budget, as well as Fiscal Years 2020, 2021 and 2022. It added that the $300,000 it received this year included a $100,000 earmark for grants to be awarded by the institute to other organizations.
The institute says it will continue helping the community in over 91 cities and towns across Massachusetts.
"If we are sending the message that people are not worthy of receiving access to their basic needs, they cannot heal through trauma," Chéry-Dorrelus said. "They cannot get through the rest of it."
In a statement, Healey's office said it respects and appreciates the work done by the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute to support victims of violent crime.
