Care Lodge Domestic Violence Shelter has moved its community services office to a new location.

    The community services office, which accommodates non-shelter services, outreach and administrative offices, and family violence intervention and anger management programs, is now located at 1627 23rd Avenue.

    Care  Lodge will hold a ribbon cutting at the new office today at 2 p.m., followed by an open house until 6 p.m.

     The move into the new office space will allow Care Lodge to continue to grow the comprehensive services they provide to victims of domestic violence in East Mississippi, a Care Lodge spokesperson said.

    Since its founding in 1981, Care Lodge has provided safe shelter to more than 4,000 women and 5,000 children and has provided non-shelter services to an additional 9,500 victims of domestic abuse.  

    The community services offices operated out of the shelter location until 1998 when it was determined a separate space was necessary for operation.

    Care Lodge spent almost a month preparing the new space and depended heavily on volunteers to make the move a success. In total, 122 individuals volunteered 584 hours of assistance. Volunteers helped with various projects and did everything from cleaning and painting to unpacking and building a new board room table.

     Care Lodge is the only certified domestic violence shelter within East Central Mississippi that provides safe shelter and comprehensive services to adult victims of domestic violence and their children, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Care Lodge provides services for approximately 1,000 clients every year and serves the residents of Lauderdale, Clarke, Kemper, Leake, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Scott and Winston counties. 

    For more information, visit www.carelodge.com or call Care Lodge at (601) 693-HOPE.