Family Violence Prevention Center plans to expand and improve its ability to address domestic and sexual violence against women in Greene County via the new center, said Executive Director Debbie Matheson. This includes individual counseling and support groups for survivors, and space for case management and advocacy.
The nonprofit has outgrown its current offices at 380 Bellbrook Ave. in Xenia, Matheson said, and needs new space. The expansion and improved facilities will also give survivors better confidentiality and more face-to-face time with providers.
One of the most significant challenges is the perception the organization’s current facilities are only for emergencies. Family Violence Prevention Center also facilitates support groups, counseling and assistance with “the nuts and bolts of your life back together,” Matheson said.
“Folks will say, ‘But I don’t need the shelter,’” she said. “So the intention of this new space is really to be an outreach center where people know to go if they’re a domestic or sexual violence survivor, or if a friend or family or neighbor or co worker or a boss is interfacing with someone who is.”
The building at 193 South Progress Drive was purchased at the end of January. The spot is currently occupied by Premier Health, but the center hopes to move into the new building by the end of this spring.
The ARPA grant money was administered in two phases, one $500,000 amount for purchasing the property, and a second for renovating the space and making improvements to the center’s other facilities.
“We want the community to know we’re poised and ready to help them when folks are in some of the darkest times of their lives, and to try to be pointing them to hope and healing,” Matheson said. “Looking at the strengths that each individual has in their own lives that will help them in that process of recovering from trauma.”
The organization became the certified rape crisis center for the county in 2019.
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