“Domestic violence shelters across the country are cobbling together funds to keep their doors open as the government shutdown hits the two-week mark.

Most shelters pay their staff, rent and expenses out of pocket, and are repaid with federal funds at the end of each month, Kim Gandy, the president of the National Network to End Domestic Violence explained.

The amount of time a shelter can continue operating without federal funds depends on its cash reserves, access to credit lines, and other sources of funding, such as state grants and private donors.

“A lot of shelters operate on the edge,” she said. “If there is nobody home in the government to send out reimbursement checks, some programs won’t be able to pay next month’s rent.”

On an average day, over 40,000 victims of domestic violence seek refuge in shelters across the nation. An additional 31,000 receive services, including counseling, legal advocacy and children’s support groups.”