Sarasota, FL – Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center (SPARCC) is pleased to announce that it has received a $15,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, supported by the Laszlo Jozsef Imre and Magdalene Czukor Nemeth Fund, Edward K. Roberts Fund, George J. & Alice Pugh Donor Advised Fund, Sally Blackman Johnson Charitable Foundation, and George and Marian Hyde Charitable Fund, to provide funding for SPARCC’s Emergency Shelter, a critical refuge for survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their children.

SPARCC’s 24/7 Emergency Shelter provides immediate safety and comprehensive, wraparound services for individuals and families escaping violence. In addition to secure housing, the shelter offers food, clothing, counseling, legal advocacy, case management, children’s services, and an onsite pet kennel so survivors never have to choose between their own safety and leaving their pets behind.

The need for safe shelter remains urgent. Domestic and sexual violence continue to impact families across Florida. In Sarasota County alone, more than $24 million was spent in 2019 responding to the aftermath of domestic violence. Nationally, one in four women and one in six men will experience domestic or sexual violence in their lifetime, and an estimated five million children are exposed to violence each year.

“SPARCC’s Emergency Shelter provides a safe and supportive environment helping survivors take steps toward healing and empowerment,” said Jessica Hays, SPARCC President & CEO. “We are deeply grateful to the Community Foundation of Sarasota County for helping us maintain these essential services for survivors and their children.”

For more information about SPARCC’s free programs and services and how you can get involved, visit www.sparcc.net.

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About SPARCC 

SPARCC’s mission is to provide a safe haven and promote empowerment, awareness, and social change to end domestic and sexual violence. SPARCC is the only state-certified center for domestic violence and sexual assault services for Sarasota and Desoto Counties. All of SPARCC’s services are free and confidential. In addition to serving victims, SPARCC is actively engaged in promoting social change through community awareness and education, to help prevent such violence in the future.

About the Community Foundation of Sarasota County: The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. With assets of $605 million in more than 1,600 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling $49.5 million last year in the areas of education, the arts, health and human services, civic engagement, animal welfare and the environment. Since its founding, the Community Foundation has been able to grant $542 million to nonprofits in our community thanks to the generosity of charitable individuals, families and businesses. For more information, visit cfsrasota.org or call 941-955-3000.