To some, the new Dove House facility on Simonton Road is the Taj Mahal compared to the center's former site on East Broad Street. To at least one person, it's a "miracle house."
Dove House staff members moved into their new digs about two weeks ago after eight years in their old facility.
The new space is more than double the size of the original building in downtown Statesville.
Executive Director Brenda Deal said being in the new building "feels right."
"To see where we've come through the awesome generosity of this community in a tough economic year brings me to my knees," she said.
Dove House serves child victims of sexual abuse and their families.
Since moving in, the staff worked eight new cases within the first week and seven new cases are scheduled for this week.
The growing caseload is one of many reasons there was a need for a site with more space — four acres, to be exact.
There are four bathrooms, seven offices, a laundry room upstairs, two staircases, a fundraising wing and more.
"It's been an amazing project," Jack Grossman, fundraising chairperson, said. "A miracle house."
Inside Dove House
The house entry includes wall tiles adorned with special messages.
A family room sits to the right of the foyer. The family suite includes a flat-screen television, stuffed animals, board games and a doll house, as well as a bathroom and medical exam room.
The fundraising wing includes storage space, loading dock and clothing closet. A conference room with screened-in porch offers a view of a meditation garden and babbling brook.
There are brick pavers leading to the meditation garden.
"It's very serene so when the families come out here they can chill," Grossman said.
There are still pavings, tiles and naming rights available for purchase. Once those are sold, Dove House officials say they will be nearly mortgage free.
The upstairs includes an open space that will eventually become an exercise area for staff.
Grossman said the new Dove House is a long-term facility for the community.
"We want the community to understand what they have here," he said. "It's an asset to the community."
Open house
An open house is slated from noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 13. Special guest Mark Lunsford, father of child murder victim Jessica Lunsford, will attend.
Tiles are available for purchase at $150 each and brick pavers available for purchase at $1,000.
Contact Dove House at (704) 883-9814 or at http://www.dovehouse.us.
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