Survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Luce and Mackinac counties will lose their local outreach offices after the Diane Peppler Resource Center (DPRC) announced it is closing both outreach locations.

The Sault Ste. Marie-based nonprofit said state and federal funding reductions forced the decision, according to a DPRC press release published by the Soo Leader. WBUP also reported the announcement on Wednesday, Sept. 23.

DPRC serves survivors of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, stalking and teen dating violence. The outreach offices were typically open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by appointment, according to the organization's website.

Executive Director Katie Barkley said the closures stem from state and federal funding reductions that required the organization to adjust its operations. She said DPRC will shift to phone outreach and remote connections to maintain services in both counties.

"We want our community to know that although these physical office locations are closing, our commitment to the survivors we serve has not changed," Barkley said in the release.

DPRC staff will continue working directly with current clients to ensure they keep receiving support, the organization said. Services including emergency shelter, legal advocacy, support groups and safety planning remain available through DPRC.

The specific dollar amount of the funding cuts was not disclosed. No timeline for when the offices will physically close was included in the announcement.

DPRC is not the only eastern Upper Peninsula organization facing budget pressure. Tri-County Safe Harbor in Escanaba is dealing with more than $100,000 in funding reductions across two fiscal years, including nearly $42,000 in state and federal cuts starting Thursday, Oct. 1, according to the Daily Press. The pattern raises questions about how survivors across the region will access in-person help as funding tightens.

Survivors in Luce and Mackinac counties can reach DPRC at (906) 635-0566 or at dprcenter.org.