DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Greene County commissioners have pledged over $1 million to support domestic violence victims.
Local leaders say this expansion has been a long time coming.
“It’s been about 22 years since the agency has had a really big expansion,” Debbie Matheson, executive director of Family Violence Prevention Center, said. “And so, this is kind of a historic moment.”
While they have been offering help to the community for decades, the Greene County Domestic Violence Center has finally received funding to start their much-needed expansion.
The center has already purchased a new location where they will be able to double the amount of physical space they have to work with survivors of sexual, domestic or physical abuse.
The expansion will help both survivors and the staff. With more room, the center said they will be able to provide personalized support.
The Domestic Violence Center works hand-in-hand with the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, and with funding, a new position designed solely for helping domestic violence victims has been created.
Greene County Sergeant Beth Prall has been in law enforcement for over 25 years and has fully stepped into the role. She says other agencies don’t typically have the resources to give victims what they need.
“They don’t have that time to focus on that,” Prall said. “And so that’s what I’m here to do, to be able to give it that extra attention, to be able to give these victims the extra attention, to make sure that the prosecution is done right and that the victims receive the services that they need.”
Greene County Family Violence Prevention Center officials say they plan to begin working on the space later this month and then will fully be in by December.
