1 Safe Place opens in Brownsville
BROWNSVILLE, Tenn. — A local family justice center is making its official opening to the public.
“As we continue to fight against domestic violence in our community, it’s an ongoing battle, a daily battle for those victims who suffer sometimes in silence, but today marks a change in the narrative,” said Brownsville Mayor Bill Rawls.
Protect, prevent and empower. Those are three things the family justice center’s 1 Safe Place plans to provide to victims of not only domestic violence, but also sexual assault and human trafficking.
On Thursday, the Brownsville community, along with city and criminal justice leaders, gathered for the grand opening of 1 Safe Place.
During the ceremony, Rawls spoke on behalf of firefighters, police officers, and construction workers who help put the building together at what was once a vacant Baptist church.
“We own this building because you have invested your time into this building, of what is now 1 Safe Place,” Rawls said.
Jasmine Dowell, the director of 1 Safe Place, says their mission is to help anyone in the community who is suffering from abuse by creating a safe place for them to heal.
“We want to protect the rights of our survivors through the criminal and legal systems, to reduce the stress and anxiety of whatever traumatic event they’ve been through,” Dowell said.
As of July 1, Dowell says they started accepting families from the community into the center. She says they hope to continue the mission they created for survivors in the future.
“We all look forward to serving clients for many years to come by protecting, preventing and empowering,” Dowell said.
For more information about 1 Safe Place, click here.
