ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – As St. Johns County continues to see growth, a local domestic violence and sexual assault center needs more funding and more space.
The Betty Griffin Center provides counseling, shelter and other services to domestic violence and sexual assault survivors.
“I honestly believe without their assistance, I probably wouldn’t be here today,” said survivor Marie Colee. The center receives funding through federal, state, and local grants but with the population growth in St. Johns County, the nonprofit said it is serving more people and the costs are going up.
Development Director Nicole Pece said the center’s shelter is currently over capacity.
“Costs are increasing in St. John’s County, so together with the number of people we're serving and the increase in costs, it’s becoming more challenging as we move forward,” Pece explained. “We want to be able to continue providing these programs and services to the community members.”
Although the shelter is over capacity right now, Pece said the center does everything it can to accommodate anyone who needs their services or emergency shelter. Pece said they have worked with several partners to ensure they are able to do so.
The Betty Griffin Center is looking into opportunities to expand their shelter down the road.
In the meantime, they continue to accept donations to support their services.
To donate, visit http://bettygriffincenter.org/donate/ .The non-profit also has two thrift shoppes in St. Johns County.
- Anastasia Island Thrift Shoppe: 1961 A1A South, St. Augustine, FL 32080
- Julington Square Thrift Shoppe: 445 SR 13, Fruit Cove, FL 32259
The proceeds benefit the center.