ALLEGAN, Mich. — Children in Allegan County are getting another ally — and the community is getting a challenge as a local advocacy center nears its fundraising goals.
The Allegan County Community Foundation (ACCF) is now partnering with Safe Harbor Children’s Advocacy Center to help them build a bigger facility and be better able to help kids healing from abuse.
“The new building will allow us to provide two interviews at any given time, a medical evaluation, up to four therapy sessions, ... while also training adults how to protect kids all at the same time,” says Safe Harbor Executive Director Lori Antkoviak.
It’s been a long time coming — FOX 17 has been following Safe Harbor’s journey to bring this 6,000-square-foot space to life since they first announced the project in 2019.
At first, they were going to move into a building donated by Perrigo, but it didn't fit their needs. That space was sold and the proceeds used to jump-start the new facility.
To help improve these services in the area, the ACCF is issuing a challenge: putting up $50,000 of their own funding for the project, and asking the community to match it.
“My board, you know, was very enthusiastic, to offer up a $50,000 gift to them," says ACCF Executive Director Stephanie Calhoun, "and ... use it as a match to inspire our already incredibly generous community to, you know, just kind of kickstart— or kick-end— the campaign a little bit.”
Safe Harbor is very close to their goal — already raising $1.7 million of the $2.3 million they need — and this challenge has earned over $7,000 from the community, meaning $14,000 is now going towards bringing these services to kids and families in need.
“As much as we wish that work didn't exist, it does," says Calhoun. "And we're really proud to support it.”
Safe Harbor tells us FOX 17 viewers are stepping up too. Donations are already coming in because of our previous coverage of their Lighting the Way campaign.
Visit Safe Harbor's website to make a donation.
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