“It’s not about breaking ground on a building, but it’s about breaking ground in how our community responds to and cares for children who experienced child abuse and trauma.” – Shelly Bohannon, Executive Director, The Bridge
On a typically windy Monday afternoon, supporters, staff and advocates of The Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center in Amarillo came together to break ground at the site of their new home, where they hope to expand their services and help even more children who have experienced sexual abuse and give them an opportunity to heal.
Executive Director Shelly Bohannon spoke to the crowd April 27 on the north side of Wallace Boulevard about “The Healing Begins,” while other dignitaries and supporters, such as honorary campaign co-chairs, former state Rep. Four Price and Karen Price, as well as Mayor Cole Stanley and Contractor Brandon Robertson, spoke to the crowd.
Four Price, master of ceremonies and honorary co-chair, started by saying, “this ceremony represents a significant milestone on the road to improving care and vital services offered daily by professionals at the area’s only children’s advocacy center. This facility will signify and significantly improve professional collaboration on child abuse cases, the prevention of child abuse and with the extension of critical services, including mental health services, for the many in need.”
Price said it was a happy day, and he was grateful for those who came out to celebrate it.
The board of The Bridge was honored for having the vision for the future by protecting and nurturing kids of the Panhandle by initiating the Healing Begins at the Bridge Capital Campaign.
Bohannon said the effort had been in the works for six years, and that when she woke up, she couldn’t believe this day was really happening.
“Standing together on this ground feels very meaningful for me, because it is a dream we’ve been working towards,” she said. “It’s not about breaking ground on a building, but it’s about breaking ground in how our community responds to and cares for children who have experienced child abuse and trauma.”
Bohannon said that The Bridge was established in 1989 as a nonprofit for Texas State Law and housed originally in the Polk Street Methodist parsonage. “So, we had a very small space that they generously donated use for — like a dollar a year,” she said. “We really appreciate them helping us get started.”
The Bridge was then able to move into their current location in October 2001 and have established four offices in other counties to better serve those children in outlying areas. Bohannon said that there are offices in Clarendon, Dumas, Pampa and Hereford to help those children.
She said that The Bridge serves the largest geographical area in the nation, the top 26 counties of the Texas Panhandle, and it has a staff of 18 or 19 serving across the area.
“We have fully executed Memorandum of Understanding with partner agencies that include the FBI and U.S. military and are prepared to serve any child that walks through our doors,” Bohannon said.
“Our partner agencies, along with us, have provided critical services to well over 30,000 Texas Panhandle children since the establishment of The Bridge, so we are making a difference,” she added. “We have helped guide those children through probably the most terrifying time of their lives.”
Agencies such as Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas as well as National Children’s Alliance have helped guide them in how to provide a full range of services, according to Bohannon.
“We started the day off with 81% of our funding goal raised, but two additional gifts this morning put us at 84%, so that’s a great day,” she said, adding that she had no doubt they would make the next $2 million to meet their goal.
“The Bridge holds the candid platinum transparency seal, providing donors with confidence that we will utilize the funds in direct services for children,” she said.
She mentioned that Bob Kritzer and his team at Yellow House Equipment came to her and asked what they needed. They provided the heavy equipment at the site for the groundbreaking ceremony.
Other partners that walked beside them in their journey were the Canyon Police Department and Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, among others.
Tribute to Clay Stribling for his generosity
A huge tribute was paid to the late Clay Stribling, whose generosity for children, not yet born, who can now, one day, find safety, healing and hope on this very ground where his legacy was living on through every life touched, said Bohannon.
She also thanked all the donors who were listed on posters, many of which blew away in a gust of Panhandle wind but were quickly gathered up.
The new, 34,725 square-foot facility will have on-site mental health services for children and non-offending caregivers, as well as a soundproof forensic interview wing designed to protect interview integrity and reduce disruption. The facility will also include expanded training space to double capacity for educating professionals and parents on child abuse signs and prevention.
There will be a co-location of the Amarillo Police Department Special Victims Unit, to strengthen case coordination and support rural partners and for Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Child Protection Investigators, to allow real-time case coordination.
“Seeing this project come to fruition is more than exciting — we are grateful for financial support from many generous donors, and especially to Harrington Regional Medical Campus for the donation of 6.6 acres tract of land, located behind 1200 Wallace Blvd. This new location will offer expanded services for our Texas Panhandle kids, as well as a setting that will support the team members who work these very challenging cases,” Bohannon said.
To donate toward the campaign or learn more, visit https://bridgecac.org/ .
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center breaks ground at new site
Reporting by Nell Williams, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
