Denton County Friends of the Family is hoping to break ground on a Family Justice Center in October that will put various resources in one place for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
This would limit how many places victims have to go to get help and how many times they would have to tell their story.
“We don’t want victims to be demeaned having to repeat their story of trauma to get food from a pantry and then again to get medical access,” said Toni Johnson-Simpson, the executive director of Denton County Friends of the Family. “Once they have the initial intake, they’re able to access all of the resources available to them.”
She said everyone is different and their situations are all unique, but the center will be able to help them with a variety of assistance.
That includes law enforcement and medical personnel, emergency shelter and transitional housing, health department staff, child welfare agency social workers, childcare, legal services, a kitchen, dining hall and job training opportunities, along with others.
The land the center will be built on was donated by the Rayzor family, but having it centered in the City of Denton, the largest in the county and home of DCFOF for 45 years, also made it accessible via public transportation.
“We’re trying to eliminate as many barriers as possible since we have more citizens from the City of Denton that are accessing our services,” said Johnson-Simpson.
The center will be located west of North Lakes Park off of North Bonnie Brae St.
“It’s located really close to Rayzor Ranch, so all of those businesses could be a source of employment for many of our clients as well as a variety of other needs they may have,” said Johnson-Simpson. “So, yeah, the location was really important to us.”
The plans are laid out, but the project still has some time until it is ready for its full build-out.
The Denton County Commissioner Court approved $8 million for the project. Also, the City of Denton initially invested $400 to get the project through the city’s process and working with an engineering firm.
They’ve gone through Planning and Zoning and gotten approval from City Council. Some other neighboring municipalities that are supporting via participation are Flower Mound, Lewisville and Highland Village.
“We house and serve clients from Sanger or Pilot Point, anyone in the county,” said Johnson-Simpson. “So, we’re happy to have the support of everyone; individuals, municipalities, local businesses, because that’s what we’ll need to bring this project to fruition.”
The group will interview with engineering firms and general contractors for the next couple of weeks and they’ll select a partner to complete the civil plans which will roll into architecture plans. The plans to break ground in October will include Phase 1A and 1B.
Phase 1A is the vertical work and infrastructure on the property, which includes security features. Phase 1B is the construction of the transitional and emergency housing.
It is expected to take about 9-12 months to complete these two initial phases.
The group will have a better idea of when the full complex will be constructed based on how funding comes in.
Johnson-Simpson hopes that anyone going through a dangerous situation or victims of violence or sexual assault will not hesitate to reach out, no matter who they are or what is going on.
“People should never have to lose their dignity in order to access help,” she said. “Coming to access our services is going to be met without judgment. Whatever your circumstances are, we trust you to be the expert on your life. We’re just here to give support you and give you the best information and resources.”
