One Safe Place Macon advances in support for domestic violence survivors with $1M grant
Bibb County approves funding for centralized Family Justice Center, opening in 2025
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The One Safe Place Macon Family Justice Center is now one step closer to providing centralized resources to survivors of domestic violence in Middle Georgia thanks to a grant from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Bibb County commissioners voted unanimously on January 16 to approve a $1 million allocation to the upcoming center.
The center’s director, Sarah Schanck, says plans to open One Safe Place Macon have been in the works for more than three years.
“The million dollar appropriation from the county is really going to let us accelerate our timeline, and it’s going to make a big difference in terms of when we get to open our doors to the public,” Schanck said.
The center is expected to open in 2025. Once complete, it will be the first of three family justice centers to open in Georgia and will be the largest in the state.
“We’re close to making a final decision and being able to go under contract and immediately start constructions and renovations to get it ready,” she said.
According to Macon-Bibb District 7 Commissioner Bill Howell, the approval of the funds was a unified decision to break the cycle of domestic violence.
“Regardless of which district you live in or or the demographics of your district, this is something that affects every part of our community,” Howell said.
Schank says the amount of support the center has received so far is a sign of what services are already available in Middle Georgia for domestic violence victims.
The center will have staff members from 16 different agencies on-site to assist victims with legal services, counseling and youth programs.
For survivors of domestic abuse, One Safe Place Macon can break down the barriers to help them get the support they need.
“This is a way that we’re going to help those folks that that go through this and suffer,” he said.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, call the Crisis Line and Safe House of Central Georgia at (478) 745-9292.
