HANCOCK COUNTY — Zoey’s Place, the county’s child advocacy center, had a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday to officially mark the move into a new facility.
Since September of 2020, Zoey’s Place, had been located at 953 West North Street, where officials say they have served over 500 sexually and physically abused county children.
Due to growth in the county and a need of more space, the advocacy center moved to a larger location at 734 N. State Avenue.
Zoey’s Place executive director Katie Molinder has worked hard with her staff to grow the support for Zoey’s Place. She said one of the reasons for the move is because the interview room allows for much more privacy for the multidisciplinary team and the victim.
Some happy tears were wiped away at the Zoey’s Place Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Wednesday evening when Molinder was joined by her staff, Ronda Etherington and Alyssa Clark, and several members of the Zoey’s Place Board of Directors. They thanked the community for its generous donations and continued outpouring of support for Zoey’s Place and its mission of keeping the children of Hancock County safe.
The ribbon was cut to signify the opening of the child advocacy center’s new space, located in downtown Greenfield, nearly doubling the working space available to Molinder and her staff as they and the Hancock County Multidisciplinary Team work together on child abuse, neglect and other child victim crimes.
“As a member of the board of directors for over four years, this moment was pretty impactful and emotional for me,” Hancock County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Aimee Herring said. “The board and the staff have worked so hard to make this dream come to fruition.”
Herring said that, while the original space was perfect for starting out and getting their legs underneath them, with the number of children and families that the team serves, they had simply outgrown the space on North Street.
“This new building will allow the team to accommodate more children and give them a safe space to feel comfortable while navigating a difficult time,” Herring said. “The services provided by Zoey’s Place are invaluable to gathering evidence during potential criminal investigations and ultimately make it easier for the prosecutor’s office to hold offenders accountable.”
In addition to the ribbon cutting ceremony, Hancock County Chief Probation Officer Josh Sipes was awarded the annual Zoey’s Place Superhero Award for his tireless work advocating for and protecting children.
Officials noted that Sipes has worked with children in Hancock County for over 20 years, was a founding board member of Zoey’s Place, a youth sports coach, and has volunteered for many local agencies that benefit children. Sipes acknowledged his commitment to the children of Hancock County and showed his gratitude for the recognition. He stated that he loved working with kids and that it is something that he has always wanted to do and hopes to continue making an impact in the future.
To learn more about the importance of the move, please read the Daily Reporter’s original story on the new location.
