Denton County Friends of the Family is streamlining its services to support individuals impacted by sexual abuse and domestic violence with its new Family Justice Center.

The nonprofit held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new center, located at 3050 Bonnie Brae St., Oct. 27.

“In this partner services building, we're going to have law enforcement who can help with any criminal cases that might be filed, the district attorney on-site ... and then other partners providing those supportive services that folks need for stability,” Director of Strategic Initiatives Dani Shaw said. “[It’s a] comprehensive site with a collaborative community response to making a safer future for our survivors.”

The impact

Denton County Friends of the Family was founded in 1980 and provides services such as:

• Emergency shelter
• Counseling services
• Transitional housing
• Advocacy and legal assistance
• Crisis intervention
• Battering intervention and prevention

Having all of these services in the same location will make the process of seeking help easier for survivors.

“Since the idea of this project, there's been more than 30 people who've been killed as a result of domestic violence,” Shaw said. “We want to stop that from happening, and so that's an important part of why we're doing this.”Looking ahead

Construction of the complex will be completed over the next five years, Shaw said.

The emergency housing buildings will be built first and are expected to be completed by December 2026.