It’s been eight years since Network of Victim Assistance began offering support for victims of sexual assault and other serious crimes at its office in Fairless Hills. Though this is the third and final NOVA space to open, with the other two located in Jamison and Perkasie, it’s situated in the most populated area of Bucks County, serving almost 65 percent of the organization’s annual 3,000-3,500 clients.
According to Penny Ettinger, executive director of NOVA, due to the growing demand for services, a larger amount of space has been needed for some time. On Wednesday, Dec. 11, NOVA broke ground on an expansion of its Fairless Hills office, 333 N. Oxford Valley Road, Suite 604.
The commemorative ceremony was attended by a number of elected officials, including state Reps. Tina Davis, Wendi Thomas and Gene DiGirolamo and Sen. Tommy Tomlinson. Guests enjoyed a preliminary tour of the adjacent addition, which will tack on 2,500 square feet and officially open to the public in May, on the heels of April’s Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Currently, the entire Fairless Hills office is under renovation to create one of the first trauma-informed spaces in Pennsylvania offering a full continuum of services. These include the Bucks County Children’s Advocacy Center, a sensory room for children, additional space for individual and group therapy and private meeting space for families to meet with NOVA’s victim advocates and other professionals.
It will be a place where child victims of sexual assault and physical abuse, family members of homicide victims or the elderly who have become victims of financial or physical abuse will feel safe in the physicial space and be able to begin the healing process.
“There is no room in the existing space for any of that,” Ettinger explained. “This opportunity came about because we knew we were splitting at the seams.”
Ettinger stressed that NOVA’s expansion, which cost a total of $285,000, was made possible by many individuals. Community Development Block Grant funds in the amount of $240,000 were awarded by the County of Bucks to NOVA for the purchase of the suite in 2018; an anonymous donor presented NOVA with a $100,000 dollar-for-dollar challenge grant to help raise funds for the renovations; and Tomlinson recommended NOVA for a $50,000 state Department of Community and Economic Development grant, which the organization was awarded and used to match the first half of the challenge grant.
At NOVA’s 45th Anniversary Auction and Gala in April, the challenge grant was announced to the public. Since then, more than 80 donors have contributed to match the additional $50,000.
“It was the generosity of many, but we did that fairly quickly. It was very exciting to see all the energy around that,” Ettinger said. “The support of our county commissioners, state Sen. Tomlinson and our generous donors has a remarkable impact on the work that we are able to do. Indeed, it does take a village to ensure that NOVA is able to provide a continuum of trauma-informed services to any child or adult who has become a victim or survivor of a horrific crime.”
Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia discussed the county’s willingness to aid NOVA in its efforts.
“NOVA is a critical partner to the county, and we are thrilled to support them as they endeavor to reach more citizens facing challenges with all forms of victimization,” she said. “The funding of $240,000 has been made available through the county’s Community Development Block Grant Program and assisted NOVA in the acquisition of this property for their expansion plans. This project will increase their office space and allow them to expand services necessary to provide timely assistance to residents in the Lower Bucks area.” ••
For more information on Network of Victim Assistance, established in 1974, visit NOVABucks.org.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
