Story by: Deborah Swearingen

Jefferson County will officially provide funds for PorchLight Family Justice Center after the center successfully raised more than $100,000 in a little more than a month.

During a staff briefing in February, the county committed to match funds up to $250,000 if PorchLight received at least $100,000 in funding from a number of potential sources by April. District Attorney Pete Weir and others associated with the project attended an April 9 staff briefing to share that the goal had been met.

According to a presentation from Weir, donations received since Feb. 26 include:

• Private donations — Approximately $13,511

• 240 Union fundraiser — Approximately $3,000

• District Attorney’s Office seizure funds — $25,000

• West Metro Drug Task Force seizure funds — $25,000

• Lakewood — $100,000

• Wheat Ridge — $18,000

• Edgewater — $3,500

• Morrison — $1,000

The commissioners were all congratulatory about the funding success.

“We gave you a charge, and you charged,” said Commissioner Libby Szabo.

“I definitely wanted to see if that could happen, and you guys did it. So congratulations,” added Commissioner Casey Tighe.

When it opens, PorchLight will be a one-stop shop for victims of violence, including domestic violence, child abuse, elder abuse, human trafficking and more.

According to prior reporting from the Courier, Casey Gwinn and Gael Strack of Alliance for Hope International, an organization that helps establish family justice centers around the world, said the first center was established in San Diego in 2002.

Since then, more than 90 FJCs have been established in multiple countries, with another 100 centers in development that help women, men and children of all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Commissioners, county officials and those working in victim services and other similar areas say the FJC will help break the cycle of violence and remove some of the barriers to treatment.

With funding secured, PorchLight hopes to open its doors later this year.

Read the original story here.