Gabby Petito Foundation donation helps SafeSpace expand from Martin to Indian River
STUART — A national organization Monday announced its plans to partner with an area nonprofit to combat domestic violence.
The Gabby Petito Foundation donated $15,000 to the Stuart-based nonprofit SafeSpace, which provides domestic violence services and a safe haven to victims and their children seeking refuge from physical and emotional abuse.
SafeSpace, located in Martin County, is the only certified emergency shelter on the Treasure Coast, said board member Thomas Bakkedahl. The donation will go toward opening a new, 19-bed shelter in Indian River County early next year.
"This money that will enable us to serve more victims is going to be just a real godsend," Bakkedahl said. "We're so grateful to Gabby's foundation and her parents for selecting our organization to bestow this award upon."
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The Gabby Petito Foundation
The Gabby Petito Foundation was created to support organizations nationwide that assist domestic violence survivors through education, awareness and prevention.
The organization honors its namesake, Gabby Petito, whose fatal struggle with domestic violence made national headlines earlier this year. Petito, 22, had been on a cross-country road trip this summer with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, when she disappeared.
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Petito and Laundrie were high school sweethearts from New York's Long Island. Laundrie's parents later moved to North Port, about 35 miles southeast of Sarasota, and the two moved in with his parents.
Laundrie returned to Florida alone Sept. 1, and 10 days later, Petito's parents filed a missing persons report after not hearing from her since late August.
Petito's body was found Sept. 19 near a Wyoming campground.
After Petito's disappearance, police video emerged of problems between the couple, and officers at one point separated Petito and Laundrie for a night after a domestic dispute had turned physical.
In addition to partnering with SafeSpace, the foundation gave a donation to two other nonprofits this month: the National Domestic Violence Hotline and The AWARE Foundation.
"These three organizations are doing incredible work on the front lines of missing persons and responding to those impacted by abuse," Petito's father and foundation co-founder, Joe Petito, said in a news release. "Our foundation is honored to represent them with this support."
Domestic violence and COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic — forcing many to quarantine and providing more opportunities for tormentors — heightened domestic violence. Cases increased by 25-33% globally in 2020, according to the American Journal of Emergency Medicine.
The Indian River County Sheriff's Office reported about a 7% increase in domestic violence calls in 2020, with St. Lucie getting a 5% increase in calls, officials there said. Martin County's numbers didn't shift much from 2019.
About 60% of female homicide victims are at the hands of former or current domestic partners, Bakkedahl said.
"Those numbers are really quite staggering," he said. "It's a heroic thing for (the Petito) family to do on the heels of this travesty."
SafeSpace
Crisis hotline: 772-288-7023
Phone: 772-223-2399
Email: info@safespacefl.org
Office: 612 S.E. Dixie Highway, Stuart
Website: safespacefl.org
Social media: facebook.com/safespacefl
Catie Wegman is TCPalm's community and real estate reporter. You can keep up with Catie on Twitter @Catie_Wegman, on Facebook @catiewegman1 and email her catie.wegman@tcpalm.com.
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This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: SafeSpace: Domestic violence nonprofit to open shelter in Indian River
