While breakfast often starts the day for most people, for the South Valley Services on May 15, it meant raising thousands of dollars for domestic abuse survivors. 

SVS, who reopened its offices in West Jordan City Hall last year, held a breakfast fundraiser at the Viridian Event Center raising money to support services for survivors and their families. When it was all said and done, it raised $80,000. 

“We are so grateful to every person who showed up, donated and leaned in to support survivors,” said Lindsey Boyer, executive director of South Valley Services. “This event isn’t just about raising money—it’s about building a future where safety and support are available to everyone. We couldn’t do it without our community.”

SVS is a support organization for those impacted by domestic abuse and sexual violence which aims to provide shelter, counseling and advocacy. Its breakfast fundraiser featured its primary sponsor in Altabank and a keynote speaker in Ginette Bott, CEO of Utah Food Bank. 

The donations take on extra significance in light of recent federal funding cuts. SVS reported in March cuts of $160K as demand for their services increases, most notably with Lethality Assessment Program. Since the implementation of LAP in July 2023 there has been a 100% increase in LAP referrals state-wide, averaging 433 per month, with 92% of those referrals being high danger, according to a SVS press release. 

For SVS, it’s been a 90% increase in Salt Lake County, having served 3,812 in the past year. 

“Every day, year-round, survivors reach out to us for safety and support. With LAP screenings on the rise, we know more people than ever are connecting with our services. Funding cuts threaten the very services that help survivors escape violence and rebuild their lives,” Boyer said. “Thanks to generous local, non-government funding, we've been able to continue supporting survivors—but the gap between need and resources is growing. We need our communities’ support to ensure survivors aren't left without options and funding cuts make expanding towards transitional housing harder to reach.”

The next fundraising event will be Disco Down and Donate at Club 90 (9065 S. Monroe Street in Sandy) on June 21 at 9 p.m. Participants will receive free entry with donation of an urgent need item such as women’s underwear, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, coloring books and colored pencils, gift cards. 

For more information, go to svsutah.org. λ