Rising Together - A Story of Partnership

We are grateful to CASA, serving Pinellas and Marion Counties in Florida, for sharing their story of hope—demonstrating how the Family Justice Center Alliance framework can unite communities to restore safety, rebuild trust, and create a future filled with healing and support for survivors.

CASA Marion emerged as a lifeline in a community once without safety. After years of inadequate or nonexistent domestic violence services, Marion County—ranked third-highest in Florida for domestic violence—was left without a shelter when the previous one shut down in August 2023 over safety concerns. Sheriff Billy Woods called it “a crisis.”

To fill the gap, Community Action Stops Abuse (CASA), based in Pinellas County, expanded to Marion County on January 1, 2024. With no other certified centers stepping in, CASA launched a temporary shelter and later opened a permanent 19-room facility in August. CASA Marion now provides emergency shelter, a 24/7 hotline, legal advocacy, prevention education, housing, women’s empowerment groups, and the county’s first trauma-informed outreach program.

Community partnerships made this possible: Commissioner Michelle Stone, Sheriff Woods, and local business leaders joined the board; Jeanne Henningsen and longtime advocates formed an advisory council; and Lt. Clint Smith helped find the shelter location alongside CEO Lariana Forsythe. Mayor Ben Marciano toured the shelter and said it “almost brought tears” to his eyes.

Survivors who once had nowhere to turn now describe CASA Marion with words like “support,” “hope,” and “love.” In its first year, the center provided over 13,000 services, housed 232 people, and answered more than 1,000 hotline calls. One resident wrote that CASA Marion saved her and her children’s lives. This summer, CASA Marion will further expand by hosting Camp HOPE America to support children healing from trauma.

Thanks to the Family Justice Center Alliance framework and CASA’s leadership, a county once without a safe haven now has a thriving hub of healing and hope.

In recognition of how CASA stepped up for the community when it was most needed, CASA was awarded a 2025 Purple Ribbon Award for Organizational Hope Story of the Year.