Several years ago, The Gillespie County Ministerial Alliance (GCMA) determined there was a need for the establishment of a domestic violence shelter in Fredericksburg. The City of Fredericksburg/ Gillespie County Visioning Committee also identified establishing a shelter as one of their priorities. In May 2016, the GCMA received a gift of $25,000 from the First Christian Church and decided to direct the use of these funds towards the creation of a domestic violence shelter. Monies were donated by a very generous donor allowing The Grace Center to purchase 2.25 acres of land in Fredericksburg, January 2020, for the purpose of constructing a shelter for those impacted by domestic violence. The Grace Center was charted by the State of Texas on September 11, 2018. As of April 2019, we are a 501C3 tax exempt organization. The capital campaign was a successful endeavor. The funds raised were used to build a new, 36 bed shelter that opened it's doors in August 2023. By September 2023, The Grace Center was already housing 27 residents, two dogs and one guinea pig! Ongoing donations and fundraising events will go toward Operations of the center. In building The Grace Center, we hope to give those who have been impacted by domestic violence a place to seek shelter from their abuser. Whether help is through monetary donations, volunteering your time, or spreading our mission through word of mouth, we thank you.
The Grace Center of Fredericksburg provides shelter, offers guidance and schedules free and confidential services to empower those who have been impacted by domestic violence and seek to escape their abuser.
Domestic violence is not only a national problem, but a community issue as well.
1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have been victims of severe physical violence (e.g. beating, burning, strangling) by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
1 in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year, and 90% of these children are eyewitnesses to this violence.
Between 21-60% of victims of intimate partner violence lose their jobs due to reasons stemming from the abuse.
72% of all murder-suicides involve an intimate partner; 94% of the victims of these murder suicides are female.
Source:https://ncadv.org/statistics
Hattie has served as the Grace Center’s Executive Director since July 2021. She has over 21 years of experience working in victim services at the local and statewide levels. She is a graduate from Texas Tech University where she earned her Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations.
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