LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — A Lexington non-profit that serves victims of domestic violence is celebrating an expansion that leaders say they’ve needed for a long time.

For the past five years, the staff of The Nest has seen an increased need for their services, which meant it was time to grow. That’s exactly what happened, with a new advocacy center opening in downtown Lexington with the help of Calvary Baptist Church.

“If anyone has been to our other location, we’ve been needing space for a very long time. This will provide all the privacy that we need for serving our families that are fragile, that are in crisis, so we’re very excited to offer this to everyone,” Executive Director Jeffery White said.

This expansion will allow The Nest to maintain its growing child care and family assistance programs at the Duncan Park facility while relocating its intimate partner violence (IPV) and parenting programs to The Nest Advocacy Center. This new space will allow The Nest to facilitate a more efficient, confidential, and holistic method of support for parents, survivors of IPV, and individuals seeking legal assistance.

“Kentucky has the third largest domestic violence, and this is something that we’ve needed for a long time, to have an outreach center, an advocacy center that could be specialized for those survivors of domestic violence. To have this right downtown close to the courthouse, this will really serve the community well,” White said.

In support of this expansion, Blue Grass Community Foundation has awarded The Nest a dollar-for-dollar challenge grant of $50,000, made possible with generous funding from the James and Martha Monroe Charitable Fund and the Thomson R. Bryant Jr. and Betty R. Bryant Fund at BGCF.

“Our family assistance program has grown tremendously over the last few years, so we saw a need for us to move into additional space because of the growth in that program. Our family assistance program and our childcare programs are going to remain at our Duncan Park facility to continue to thrive in that space,” said Board Chair Caroline Cassin.

Staffers at the nest wear a lot of hats as far as the service they’re looking to provide. This new resource may be big for them, but even more so for those who use it.

“It’s an honor to be able to welcome them into The Nest Advocacy Center and to open our arms to them and take care of them the best that they can,” Cassin said.

To learn more about The Nest and to donate, follow this link.

The Nest Advocacy Center — The Nest Lexington