HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) – April has been designated as Child Abuse Prevention Month, one organization in particular has been working to make a difference in that area for a decade.
Now, a dream of of the organization’s is coming true, one that started as just a conversation,
“We just could not continue to stay in the space that we were in if we were also going to grow,” said DiDi Ellis, Kids Hub Child Advocacy Center chief executive officer/founder. “We’re insanely excited about, really, not even what we’re going to do in this space when we open the doors, but, really, about all the opportunities that are going to come with this new space that we haven’t even dreamed up yet.”
Kids Hub Child Advocacy Center has served seven counties in Mississippi for 10 years now, bringing together all of the resources needed to advocate for juvenile victims of abuse.
Center leaders said the mission had outgrown the current building on Millbranch Road, so they’re preparing to make a move.
“We’re moving from two, forensic interview rooms to three, forensic interview rooms,” Ellis said, “We have three, fully-dedicated, family advocacy waiting rooms, which means that we could, in theory, coordinate services for three different families all at the exact same time.”
The new building will allow allow Kids Hub to provide more space and more services at one time.
“When we would schedule therapy, we’d have to not schedule a forensic interview,” Ellis said. “And, if we’d schedule a forensic interview, we couldn’t schedule therapy. And so this space is going to allow for four, dedicated mental health rooms,” Ellis said.
Kids Hub said this was not an independent effort A capital campaign and many community partnerships brought the new space to life.
“Through different fundraising events, through community partners, through generous businesses that have given through like their tax credit opportunities, we have been able to generate the revenue that we’ve needed to make this a reality,” Ellis said, “And without those folks, big dreams like this for nonprofits just don’t happen.”
Kids Hub plans to start taking all of its appointments in the new space on U.S. 98 in Hattiesburg in May.
The official ribbon cutting will be put off until Oct. 10 to celebrate 10 years of service on the 10th day of the 10th month.
The organization said it also will have a rebrand coming soon.
Earlier this month, the Lamar County Board of Supervisors recognized April as Child Abuse Prevention Mont
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