About Us

Dawn Center of Hernando County, previously known as “Hernando County Rape Crisis Spouse Abuse Center,” has been meeting needs of survivors of domestic and sexual violence in Hernando County since December 1986. Originally, the agency was a satellite office of Marion County Rape Crisis Spouse Abuse Center. Although Hernando County survivors and their children received counseling through local outreach offices, they had to be transported to Marion County to receive safe shelter. Before long, it became apparent that Hernando County needed our own shelter to address the growing need in Hernando County. By July of 1993, a group of concerned citizens spear-headed by then State Senator Ginny Brown-Waite launched a campaign which allowed for the purchase of a large single-family home in Hernando County. This building was brought up to fire code to house 24 adult and child survivors. Dawn Center of Hernando County became an independent nonprofit corporation in July 1993 and housed its first emergency shelter resident in the Spring of 1994. In 2004, Dawn Center expanded the capacity of the emergency shelter to support up to 40 survivors at any time. However, the center recognized that emergency shelter is not the only service survivors of domestic and sexual violence need. Therefore, Dawn Center has consistently grown its service array to include a range of no cost services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence in Hernando County to help them find safety and heal from the trauma of abuse. Short to long-range housing programs, economic empowerment services, legal assistance, and prevention programs now meet the needs of survivors at every stage of their healing journey. More than 30 years since our humble beginnings, Dawn Center now meets the needs of over 2,000 survivors in Hernando County each year.