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Jul 9, 2021 / 07:36 PM EDT
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (WATE) The opening of a new family justice center in East Tennessee will make it easier for victims of family violence, sexual assault and exploitation, and elder abuse to find the help they need. Anderson County leaders opened their FJC on Friday, July 9.
The Anderson County Family Justice Center, at 301 Broadway Ave. in Oak Ridge, will serve as a hub for victims to file a police report, make a safety plan, participate in a lethality assessment, connect to an advocate from the YWCA, speak with a victim-witness coordinator from the DA’s office, speak with an attorney, gain assistance in requesting an order of protection, seek assistance with housing, and even access to resumé writing.
Ribbon cutting for Family Justice Center
Oakridger
A ribbon cutting for the Anderson County Family Justice Center will be at 301 Broadway Avenue, Unit 1A, at 10 a.m. Friday, July 9.
The center is part of the Anderson County government. Its website states it is a place for victims of “elder abuse, sexual assault and exploitation, and domestic violence” to stop by for free, without appointments, to speak to police, advocates and prosecutors, along with getting help finding shelter and transportation.
A mural was recently painted by Megan Lingerfelt onto the side of the building that will house the Family Justice Center, as well as ORNL Federal Credit Union, which owns the building and commissioned Lingerfelt to paint the mural.
Oakridger
Federal money will provide funding for various Oak Ridge projects ranging from demolition of older homes to new air purification systems.
The Oak Ridge City Council unanimously approved a plan for spending Community Development Block Grant funds at a recent meeting. It also approved in a separate vote a plan to designate funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Virus funds
Some of the federal funds will help the city with COVID-19 changes.
The city will spend $50,000 of those federal funds on air purification systems intended to purify the air in city and school buildings. Public facility enhancements will get $150,000. Reimbursement of COVID-19 costs will get $32,681. A plan attached to the City Council meeting agenda explained these costs include prevention costs associated with personal protective equipment (PPE) and disinfectants, as well as tests of Oak Ridge s sewers for COVID-19 genetic material to track the spread of the novel