HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla — The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay says it is expanding its services to help survivors of sexual assault and rape by opening a new facility in south Hillsborough County.
The new facility, set to open in August 2022, will be the second location in Hillsborough County where survivors can get a DNA rape kit collected to help assist in prosecuting sexual assault cases.
Currently, the only location that provides this service is the center's main facility in North Tampa.
With this new location, the center says it will be "significantly easier south county residents, including undocumented individuals, to access services."
The center says as the certified rape crisis center in Hillsborough County, it has "created a very private and empowering process for survivors to receive a rape kit, work with a victim advocate, and connect to community resources."
The new facility in south Hillsborough County will allow these same resources to be more accessible to people living closer to Ruskin, Brandon, Wimauma and the rest of south Hillsborough.
“We are extremely thankful for the support we have received from the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners and especially for the advocacy of Commissioner Harry Cohen and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. South County has seen a dramatic population boom and it has a population that is underserved when it comes to crisis intervention services. We look forward to creating an effortless experience for people to connect to support,” Clara Reynolds, President & CEO of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, wrote in a statement.
When it opens in 2022, the facility will be located inside the Hillsborough County South Shore Community Resource Center in Ruskin.
Anyone who is in need of these services can call 211. The confidential calls are answered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
For more information about this and the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, click here.
