Onslow County nonprofit receives $2 million grant, doubling resources to fight child abuse

An Onslow County nonprofit has received a $2 million grant that will help double the number of children it serves each year.

One Place, an Onslow County non-profit that creates hope for families by connecting them with resources and programs to end child abuse, has received a $2 million check from the State Employees Credit Union Foundation to assist with the construction of a new child advocacy and resource facility, according to a recent news release from the foundation. It will be named the The SECU Hope Center.

The SECU Foundation, a charitable organization that promotes local community development in North Carolina, awarded this grant just 14 months after giving One Place a Mission Development Grant to create financial strategies for facility expansion and sustainability, the release said.

“This is truly historic as we have been on the journey to our forever home," said One Place CEO Dawn Rochelle in the release. "When we think about what is needed in this community, we know that we need expanded mental health services for children, we know that we need expanded capacity to support victims of child abuse and we also know that we need more preventative services."

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The SECU Hope Center, the release said, will include a mental health clinic with onsite medical services to assist victims of physical and sexual abuse and human trafficking. It will also increase One Place's capacity by 50% to serve 600 children and families annually.

Rochelle added the investment also allows One Place to develop a space that will be multi-use, both in times of disaster and as a place for multi-disciplinary training.

The child advocacy center is a coordinated response by the community to a child that has been reported to law enforcement or the Department of Social Services as being abused or neglected, Rochelle said, adding One Place has two pediatric nurse practitioners and forensic interviewers.

"The goal is that the child tells the story one time," Rochelle said. "So that the child is not having to repeatedly tell the story and we create an environment where there's hope and there's healing. You have to be able to collect evidence and also not worry the child more."

Rochelle said the project is projected to cost around $16 million. Last year, she said the General Assembly invested $8 million and then One Place earned this $2 million grant when they raised the funds to finalize payment on the building.

She added the community is young, transient and growing. Because of this, One Place's goal is to be sustainable so that in 20-30 years, the services are going to be both more extensive and better.

"The building is going to be amazing," Rochelle said. "Our community deserves that, our kids deserve that. What we also feel so urgent about, is that we need to be able to provide the service, be able to double our capacity within the child advocacy center, to be able to provide more support to our multi-disciplinary partners and to be able to really develop out that child mental health piece."

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Rochelle said One Place's entire operations will move into the space and they will own the building. She said their current facility is fully functioning and nationally accredited but they do not own the building. She added she hopes at some point in the near future they can begin to finally see a reduction in child abuse and neglect.

Before the child advocacy center started in 2010, Rochelle said children had to go to Greenville to get the necessary resources. She said their goal from the very beginning was that people could come to the property and just exhale because they knew they would find help, even if they weren't sure what exactly they needed.

"But we're to the point, especially with the number of sibling groups that we see, we really do need the capacity to be able to double our operations," Rochelle said. "Sadly, I say, that it's that prevalent. But then, we also are so looking forward to be able to provide that dedicated community child mental health space. We have some great providers that we refer to in the community and we will continue to do that, but the rate of population growth continues to elevate and we all struggle to keep up with it for those of us that are service providers. We're trying to meet the need."

Rochelle said all of these investments have timelines and the plan is to have a groundbreaking next June, which also happens to be One Place's 25th birthday. The building is due to be open in the spring of 2025.

For more information and to follow progress on the building, visit oneplaceonslow.org.

“We are so pleased to be part of this organization’s incredible journey to open a new child advocacy and resource center,” said SECU Foundation Board Chair Bob Brinson. “One Place has been serving families in this region for over 20 years, and their passion, determination and hard work has earned them well-deserved recognition. Their programs and services are invaluable to the community – the foundation’s support and the support from so many others will ensure their mission to help those in need will continue for years to come.”

Reporter Morgan Starling can be reached at mstarling@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Daily News: Onslow nonprofit receives $2 million grant for child advocacy center