HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay is expanding access to its critical services by opening a new location in south Hillsborough County.
“The records show that 15 percent of the exams last year were from the south shore county,” said Mayra Espinosa, a nurse ambassador and sexual assault nurse examiner.
The Crisis Center said the only certified rape crisis center is at their central location in North Tampa.
“Definitely, there’s a barrier,” said Espinosa. “We have such a big county that it takes an hour to get to Tampa at times.”
The Crisis Center will soon open new sexual assault services in south Hillsborough County. Staff said the new location in Ruskin allows the community to be better served.
“Our goal is to ensure that no one has to face crisis alone, and part of that’s providing an effortless experience for somebody,” said Clara Reynolds, the President and CEO of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay. “While we did have many individuals travel that long distance up there, we recognize that for many folks, that distance was just too far.”
It’s an area that’s also growing fast. The Crisis Center pointed out that seven of the ten Hillsborough zip codes that grew the fastest between 2010 and 2020 are in south county.
“We recognize that there is a whole host of people moving into this community and many folks that are staying in this community who have not had access to a resource like this before, so it’s just such an incredible day for us at the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay,” said Reynolds.
The Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office also drove for the Crisis Center’s new location, donating linens and clothes for victims whose clothes and bedding are collected during the evidence process.
“Our resources are completely free to everyone, and we serve in English and Spanish, so that shouldn’t be a barrier to want to seek services. We offer services 24 hours a day,” said Espinosa.
Staff said services at the new Crisis Center in south Hillsborough County will open Monday, May 1, at 7:00 am. The address is 201 14th Avenue Southeast in Ruskin.
