Every minute, 24 people in the U.S. become victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner, adding up to more than 12 million women and men each year, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

In Atlanta, the largest nonprofit providing free legal and social services to domestic violence survivors is facing a financial crisis just as more people are asking for help.

The Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation has lost three of its four federal grants, millions of dollars in funding, at a time when Georgia is seeing a 12% increase in family violence over the last year, according to the Georgia Commission on Family Violence. It's the first time in the organization's history that such cuts have occurred.

Managing Attorney Courtney Johnson said navigating the legal system can be overwhelming for survivors on their own. 

"It is incredibly hard to navigate the system alone," she said. "Intimate partner abuse does not discriminate. And so, it affects people from all walks of life, all genders, all levels of, financial ability. And so, this is our community. These are people that you are seeing that you don't even know need this resource. It impacts all of us."

"Pearl" the Van, and a lifeline on wheels

Inside a white mobile office known as "Pearl," Kenya Gould, AVLF's director of social services, meets survivors wherever they feel safe: in parking lots, grocery store lots, parks, and neighborhood shopping centers.

"Some survivors have support systems in other states, and if funding is available, we can assist them with getting to their support system in that other state," Gould said. "If funding is available, we can do an emergency hotel. Others want a legal route."

Pearl isn't just a van, it's a way out.

Legal Help, Now at Risk

AVLF also helps survivors file for protective orders and navigate the courts.

"It is incredibly hard to navigate the system alone," said Johnson.

But without federal funding, thousands of survivors may have to try. Last year, AVLF helped 3,000 survivors of domestic violence. This year, it's on track to serve around 4,500.

Executive Director Michael Lucas says survivors often try to leave an abusive relationship five to seven times before breaking free for good. He said the cuts come at a devastating time. 

"The average survivor takes five to seven attempts to break away from an abusive partner," he said. "Without solid wraparound services, we're going to see a lot more survivors taking much longer to break that cycle."

AVLF leaders are now working to build new partnerships — including potential collaborations with Fulton County — to keep services running and staff in place.

Lucas added that domestic violence affects more than families. It affects the economy.

"The drain on the economy is in the billions annually, just from lost productivity of a survivor facing that violence," he said. "There are ripple effects for the whole community that everybody should be paying attention to ... We remain hopeful because this is such a critical service in the community," he said.

For Gould and her team, the work is personal.

"It is very amazing to see a survivor come to you in fear, and then to see them at freedom," she said. "I know a better day is coming."

For now, AVLF said all services will remain fully staffed for the immediate future, but into the new year, the organization warns, things may get much tougher.