Amanda Robbins, Legal Advocate
June 29, 2020 - October will mark the 5th anniversary of the Family Crisis Center of East Texas (FCCET) office opening in Center. To kick off 2020, they expanded their days of availability at the Center office to 4 days a week to better serve victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
To better connect with families and communities, FCCET hired Amanda Robbins, a Shelby County local, at the end of 2019. She started out knocking on doors and introducing herself while handing out pamphlets about the Family Crisis Center. Then, COVID-19 affected the way daily operations were done and Mrs. Robbins momentum was slowed, but not stopped.
Mrs. Robbins, a graduate of Shelbyville HS, is honored to be a part of the FCCET and their mission to empower survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault by providing crisis intervention and advocacy services.
Robbins said, "I wanted a meaningful and fulfilling job and I feel like this job was meant for me. I am triple certified in Law Enforcement and I feel like that definitely helps me in this job. I have this overwhelming urge to want to help people and I feel like this is the perfect job to be able to do that. At the end of the day being there for somebody and helping them in the worst and scariest time in their life is very rewarding to say the least!"
"We serve victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. When a lot of people think about our agency, they usually know that we have a shelter or safe place for them go to. They often think of the typical woman that ended up with a black eye from domestic violence," explained Glenna Harkness, Program Director. "But the majority of our clients are actually outreach clients, meaning they are still living in their own homes." Domestic violence is emotional, psychological, isolation, verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. The emotional, physical, and psychological consequences of domestic violence can span over several years and even last a lifetime.
Victim Services Coordinator, Maria Raley said, "We are going to knock on doors and they may say no, not right now, but our job is to advocate on behalf of the client."
Robbins wants to let East Texas know she is here to help. The FCCET Center Outreach Office is located at 616 Tenaha Street, Suite A, Center, TX 75935. At this time, the office is open Monday-Thursday from 7am until 6pm. For more information, call 936-427-5140 during office hours or if in need, call the 24-Hour hotline number: 1-800-828-SAFE (7233) or send confidential text to: 936-552-9256.
About Family Crisis Center of East Texas
The Family Crisis Center of East Texas (FCCET) is a non-profit organization that empowers survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault by providing crisis intervention and advocacy services. The FCCET also engages the community through education to build awareness and prevent domestic violence and sexual assault. FCCET's vision statement is to end the culture of domestic violence and sexual assault.
The Family Crisis Center of East Texas provides support and services to the following areas: Angelina County, Houston County, Nacogdoches County, Polk County, Sabine County, San Augustine County, San Jacinto County, Shelby County, and Trinity County.
