One Safe Place Macon was announced as a grant recipient of A Community Thrives, a grantmaking and crowd-funding program from the USA TODAY NETWORK and a part of the Gannett Foundation, today. Crisis Line & Safe House of Central Georgia will receive a $100,000 national project grant as the lead agency for One Safe Place Macon.

A Community Thrives supports non-profit organizations with projects focused on community building and has helped to contribute more than $17 million since 2017. This year, A Community Thrives engaged participants in 45 states. One Safe Place Macon was named one of 16 winners in the national project category and one of only three to receive the highest grant award of $100,000.

Crisis Line & Safe House provides community crisis intervention, safe shelter, comprehensive support and recovery services for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence with community education. The A Community Thrives grant will help launch one of Georgia’s first family justice centers, One Safe Place Macon. The center will serve victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder and dependent adult abuse, and human trafficking through coordinated services provided by multiple co-located agencies in a centralized building. The Center is slated to open in late 2023.

“We are thrilled to be selected to win the $100,000 national project grant from the A Community Thrives initiative. When I asked what stood out in our application, I was told that it was the depth of our collaborative and the opportunity to enact community-wide transformation. There are nearly 25 local agencies and organizations working on this vision to create a one stop shop for victims and families in our community. This financial award is a game-changer for our progress,” said One Safe Place Macon Site Coordinator Sarah Schanck.

“We are proud of the work the collaborative of One Safe Place Macon has done to enhance Macon-Bibb County. At Gannett, we take pride in supporting the organizations that make a positive impact in their communities. Through A Community Thrives, we lend financial support to that purpose as well as rally the whole community to champion a good and meaningful cause,” said CEO and Chairman Mike Reed.