The Spring of Tampa Bay Safety. Hope. Renewal. Domestic Violence Awareness

Prevent. Protect. Change.

The mission of The Spring of Tampa Bay is to prevent domestic violence, protect victims and promote change in lives, families, and communities. The vision is “to be a premier provider of domestic violence services and a positive force for social change, creating a ‘zero tolerance’ attitude towards domestic violence in Hillsborough County.

Since 1977, The Spring of Tampa Bay’s emergency shelter has provided a safe haven and supportive services to over 50,000 victims of domestic violence. In addition, The Spring provides a specialized continuum of services for survivors and their children to assist them in rebuilding their lives. The Spring of Tampa Bay, Inc. community education and outreach programs commit to lifesaving intervention and prevention of domestic violence in Hillsborough County.

The Spring of Tampa Bay, Inc. is a United Way agency, a state-certified domestic violence service provider, and is nationally accredited by the Council on Accreditation for Children and Family Services (COA).

About the Spring
Domestic violence is the single leading cause of injury to women in this country.

Since 1977, The Spring has provided sanctuary and services to more than 50,000 abused adults and their children in Hillsborough County. One of the largest programs in the nation, The Spring is the largest of Florida's 42 certified domestic violence shelters and the first in the United States to have an accredited school on site for resident children. The Spring has provided leadership in both legal and legislative initiatives that provide protections for victims, and prepared law enforcement and the judiciary with statutes to arrest and prosecute abusers. The Spring is Hillsborough County’s only certified domestic violence prevention and emergency shelter agency.Half of our operating budget comes from private sources including: individuals, corporations, and foundations.

A United Way agency, we are a state-certified domestic violence service provider and nationally accredited by the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence (FCADV) for the myriad of services we provide our clients.

During 2008-2009:
• Sheltered 1,287 unduplicated women and men, including 744 children, providing 29,733 nights of shelter. Children attend child care and Hillsborough County Alternative School at shelter.

• Outreach Program provided 9,881 days of service to individuals who did not need shelter.

• All received individualized services that include counseling, safety planning, housing, benefits, legal assistance and relocation, if necessary.

•Community education sessions reached 14,000 individuals in corporations, healthcare, and schools.

Continuum of Services
The Spring exists to restore peace to violent families. The Spring provides a continuum of services to help individuals, with the goal of preventing domestic violence and helping those who are victims of violence. These services range from primary prevention to crisis services. Transitional housing and support services are also available, to ensure that the victims who seek services at The Spring truly have the opportunity for lasting change in their lives.

The Spring provides specialized services for all victims to aid them in rebuilding their lives.

24-Hour Hotline and Injunction for Protection Service – safety planning and protection
Emergency Shelter for Individuals and Families including Emergency Shelter and Children’s Services
Prevention and Education – Youth Education and Community Education and Professional Training
Outreach – provides 24-Hour Domestic Violence Hotline, Community Outreach Services, and Sheriff’s Office Advocate with Child Protection Unit
Legal Assistance through Bay Area Legal Services onsite and after-hours injunctions
Transitional Housing providing work and education for an independent future
Thrift Operations and Warehouse provides furniture and clothing for victims to begin their new lives – we moved approximately 100 families to safety last year.

Youth Education Services - Since over half of the beds in our emergency shelter are occupied by children, we have created programs that are responsive to their needs. Many children arrive several months behind their peers in school, often because the violence in their homes robs them of their parents’ attention and nurturing. Our Hillsborough County alternative school helps children catch up on their studies.

LOVE SHOULDN'T HURT is a program created in 2003 in conjunction with the Hillsborough County Domestic Violence Task Force to provide prevention-minded educational presentations for adolescents and young adults. This program helps adolescents identify potentially dangerous situations in dating relationships and encourage them to explore their expectations and feelings about intimate relationships. The goal is to change the attitude that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution.

We also offer a juvenile offender program for youth 10 - 17 called "Peace in Action."