The James and Jennifer Harrell Center for the Study of Family Violence at the USF College of Public Health is getting closer to reaching its $75,000 fundraising goal, but additional support is still needed to take full advantage of a matching gift opportunity that could double the impact for survivors and families.
Meredith Harrell, the late couple’s daughter, established the $75,000 matching gift challenge to continue her family’s philanthropic legacy and advance the center’s work. Every gift made toward the challenge will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $75,000.
At the heart of the effort is the Intimate Partner Violence Enhanced Service Team in Healthcare (InVEST in Health),a partnership between the Harrell Center, The Spring of Tampa Bay and Tampa General Hospital (TGH) designed to bring domestic violence support directly into the health care setting.
“Together, we are embedding advocacy within the hospital to support survivors, strengthen care teams and build evidence for a model that can improve outcomes,” said Dr. Abraham Salinas-Miranda, director of the Harrell Center.
Through the partnership, a trained domestic violence victim advocate from The Spring of Tampa Bay will work within the hospital setting, helping connect survivors with safety planning, resources and compassionate support. TGH provides the health care setting and clinical partnership, while the Harrell Center leads the program’s evaluation and translational research.
For Mindy Murphy, president and CEO of The Spring of Tampa Bay, having an advocate available in the hospital represents an opportunity to reach survivors at a particularly critical moment.
“Right now, our InVEST advocates can get to TGH for the most severe cases, but we can't be there for every survivor who is hospitalized. That means some people leave without ever knowing help exists,” Murphy said. “A hospital stay may be the only time a survivor is out of reach of the person hurting them.”
The InVEST in Health project aims to close that gap by placing a domestic violence victim advocate inside the hospital to assist with safety planning, help with injunctions and connect survivors with services while also supporting the medical teams caring for them.
“The research on this model is promising and USF will measure our results,” Murphy said. “A generous donor has offered a $75,000 seed gift, and your contribution will be matched dollar-for-dollar. Please invest in this work with us.”
Salinas-Miranda said supporting the program is an investment not only in individual survivors but also in the health and safety of the broader community.
“This is a critical investment in the health and safety of our community,” he said. “Through the USF Harrell Center's partnership with TGH and The Spring of Tampa Bay, survivors of domestic violence will receive immediate, compassionate support when they need it most.”
He added that placing trained advocates directly in health care settings can connect survivors with safety planning, essential resources and pathways to healing.
“With every gift matched dollar-for-dollar, donors have the opportunity to double their impact and help create hope, safety and recovery for survivors and their families,” Salinas-Miranda said.
Read more about the Harrell Center and the $75,000 matching gift challenge here.
Double your impact
The Harrell Center is asking the community to help close the remaining gap toward its $75,000 minimum fundraising goal. Every contribution will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $75,000, giving donors an opportunity to double their support for InVEST in Health and its work with survivors and families.