SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The county hopes to expand the Greene County Family Justice Center.

It opened in the fall of 2018. Since, then nearly 400 clients have asked for assistance. The center offers assistance to domestic abuse, elder abuse, sexual assault and family abuse. Clients have a team of professionals who can triage their needs and offer support.

The professionals say helping survivors benefits all of us.

“And then there are also community benefits as far as drops in domestic abuse rates or domestic homicide rates,” said Jamie Willis of the center. “In San Diego, in less than ten years after the first family justice center opened, their domestic homicide rate dropped by 90 percent. So victims are safer and the community is safer.”

Organizers of the center have applied for a non-profit status.

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