I would like to thank everyone in our community who voted for Refuge House in the Guide to Florida “Best in Florida” for social service agency. We were delighted to have won the top designation and thank you all so much for your support which made this honor possible. We are fortunate to have a community that cares about survivors and their children.
2023 was a busy year for us. We worked hard to improve the experience of survivors as they receive services at our offices and shelters. And thanks to the generosity of our amazing donors, we were able to provide some much-needed improvements to our properties. New flooring and bathroom updates in both emergency shelters, major updates to our 80-year-old historic Gadsden County Office, and a newly renovated sexual violence counseling office in Tallahassee.
As proud as we are of those improvements that will enhance the comfort and safety of survivors who come to us for support and care, we were also faced with an unprecedented increase in the need for safe shelter. Not only are more and more victims desperately reaching out to us for safe housing, but they are experiencing intense acts of brutality at the hands of the abuser and/or trafficker.