CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte will soon be home to a survivor center that provides all the tools and services necessary to help victims of abuse, assault and trafficking under one roof.
U.S. Reps. Jeff Jackson and Alma Adams were in Charlotte Friday celebrating a $2.5 million grant for the center's construction. Known as the Umbrella Center, this facility will be a place of refuge for domestic violence survivors and their children. Advocates have been seeking solutions for years to make the overwhelming and complicated resource system easier to navigate.
"We have fought long and hard for this day," domestic violence survivor Rashida Gittens said.
Advocates are fighting to get victims the help they need under one roof, saying having all those resources in one place will be a game changer.
"I avoided the courts because he told me that would be the place where he could kill me," Gittens said.
Now, these survivors are fighting for others.
"I will not stop using my voice to tell my story so other people know it's OK," Audra Toussant said.
Their victory is the Umbrella Center, which will offer legal and medical assistance, plus job help and child services. The facility will also have counseling available for victims. It's possible thanks to a collaboration between Safe Alliance, Pat's Place and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, which responds to 40,000 calls a year for domestic violence.
"Sometimes women who need this help don't get it for various reasons," Adams said. "Sometimes they're afraid. It just didn't affect me as a mother, but also my children. They were very young."
A survivor herself, Adams is proud the center will help children heal, too.
"Having one navigator there to be your champion is going to be something that's going to change the way victims view getting help," Toussant said.
Safe Alliance's survivor resource center in Uptown serves about 40 people a month right now via referrals. Officials believe the future center will serve more than 10,000 people annually.
"There is a light at the end of the tunnel," Gittens said.
The Umbrella Center is set to open in the summer of 2026.
Contact Julia Kauffman at jkauffman@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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