Alexandra House is keeping its doors open, even if people's wallets have closed.

The 33-year-old domestic abuse shelter and advocacy organization in Blaine has been a victim of the bleak budget picture. As cities face reductions in state aid, they've cut back in their funding for such nonprofit organizations as Alexandra House.

So Alexandra House must look to private donors to stay alive.

"The challenge is that many folks face hardships in their own homes with the economy and it's impacting their ability to give to causes they want to give to," said Alexandra House executive director Connie Moore.

"We're hoping we'll at least be able to maintain the level of funding from individual donars, but at this point in the economy we don't know how it will go."

Last year, the shelter, which serves Anoka County, assisted 2,400 victims, including 819 women and children who received emergency shelter and 1,800 women, men and children who needed legal services.

While the Alexandra House was able to broaden its focus to sexual violence victims last year, thanks to a federal grant, it has had to reduce staff and community programming. In 2008, program administrators had to reduce weekend and evening staffing and cut a full-time position in addition to two administrative positions.

Since then, it has been able to maintain its 30 full-time staff. Still, Moore said, its criminal and justice intervention work had to be curtailed.

"There might be times when we might be required to be in five or six courtrooms and if we don't have the staff we can't be there," said Moore.

Lynne T. Bankes, an Alexandra House board member and the White Bear Lake chief of police, says the responsibility to support organizations such as the Alexandra House is getting shuffled from cities to the county, to individuals.

"Businesses are not making money, volunteer donations are down significantly, and yet the increase of need continues to go on," Bankes said. "People don't have money, they're losing their jobs, homes, medical coverage and the ability to be independent. That transforms into frustration and, oftentimes, violence."

Fridley, which has contributed to the Alexandra House for at least five years, was one of a handful of cities in Anoka County that had to call it quits. In 2008, it gave its last donation of $21,000.

"Ultimately, we decided in fairness to everybody, we would give to nobody," said City Manager Bill Burns. "It's hard to envision starting up again, there's so much financial uncertainty."

Circle Pines is also discussing how it can save money, but cutting off the Alexandra House has not been an option, said Mayor Dave Bartholomay.

"When times get tough economically, we're doing a lot of cuts and the question becomes how innovative we can be in what we cut," said Bartholomay. "But we need to be careful when thinking about cutting something people need most in desperate times."

So far, Alexandra House has seen a decrease in funds, but with its Hope Gala and Walk for Hope events approaching, Moore hopes its fundraising efforts will make up the difference.

"Don't forget the victims," Bankes said. "It's so easy to close the newspaper or turn off the TV, but we never forget the victims.Young and old, white or black ... domestic violence has no boundary."

Hannah Gruber • 612-673-4864