RUSKIN, Fla. – The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay hosted an open house for its new sexual assault services facility Friday. President and CEO Clara Reynolds said it’s meant to make it easier for communities in the underserved south part of the county to access services.

What You Need To Know

  • The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay has opened a new sexual assault services facility in Ruskin

  • According to the center, 15% of the 334 exams performed by staff last year came from south Hillsborough County

  • Before the new site opened, clients from the Ruskin area had to make the trip to the center’s Tampa headquarters for services — a drive that officials say could take up to 90 minutes and deter people from reporting

  • The new facility includes bilingual staff to serve members of southern Hillsborough’s Hispanic communities

“I walked in today and just started busting out crying,” said Reynolds. “It’s been a dream for so many years. So, to be here today just means so much.”

Reynolds said of the 334 exams performed by crisis center staff last year, 15% were from south Hillsborough. Those clients previously had to make the trip to the center’s North Tampa location, which officials said was the nearest certified rape crisis center.

Reynolds and Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister told the crowd at the open house that could be a 90-minute drive from the south side of the county to the Tampa location — a distance they said could make some survivors reconsider reporting.

“It’s definitely something that would affect somebody wanting to go to get an exam," said Mayra Espinosa, the new facility’s nurse ambassador and a sexual assault nurse examiner. "The exam itself can take several hours. Now, add on top of that the traffic that you have to go through to actually get an exam — a lot of people do get discouraged from having to go through that.” 

For the past several months, Espinosa has worked to meet with community partners and residents in the Ruskin area to get the word out about the new facility and the resources it offers.

“A lot of the community partners would say that there is a need.," Espinosa said. "I didn’t really understand that when I first came."

According to the crisis center, seven of Hillsborough County’s ten zip codes with the fastest-growing populations are in southern Hillsborough.

“We know statistically that there should be so many more,” Reynolds said of cases of sexual assault that likely go unreported in this part of the county.

“This work is important to me because I am able to bring awareness about a topic that is really hard to discuss,” said Espinosa. “It’s really hard to talk about, especially with the Hispanic community.”

Ruskin and Wimauma are among areas of the county that have large Hispanic communities, according to the center. Bilingual staff will be on hand at the new facility to serve these communities, and Espinosa said it’s important to break down barriers.

“We have a fear to ask for help within health care, in the law enforcement communities," she said. "A lot of the Hispanic community, they’re either undocumented and they fear that if they do ask for help, that will affect their stay here in the United State."

Tampa Bay residents in need can call 211 24/7 to get connected to the crisis center’s services.