- April 23, 2026
Dear Editor:
Thank you for featuring the article about Mrs. Farrell-Nelson and her walk. I would like to take this opportunity to expand on the importance of community awareness around sexual assault services.
Family Life Center is the Florida Department of Health–certified rape crisis center serving Flagler and Volusia counties. All services are free, confidential, and available not only to survivors but also to their impacted family members, including spouses, parents, and children. These services include crisis counseling, personal advocacy, support groups, and mental health support.
In 2025 alone, Family Life Center has accompanied 121 survivors through sexual assault forensic exams, responded to more than 980 sexual assault–related crisis calls, and provided nearly 1,930 hours of crisis counseling. Nationally, RAINN estimates that a sexual assault occurs every 68 seconds — more than 1,200 incidents each day — underscoring the critical need for accessible, local support.
We hope this information helps raise awareness of the resources available in our community. Survivors can reach the Flagler Sexual Assault Crisis Helpline at 866-456-HELP (4357) or the Volusia Sexual Assault Crisis Helpline at 800-503-7621.
There are many individuals in our community who need support, and we are here to help. Thank you for helping share this vital information.
Dr. Trish Giaccone, LMHC
CEO, Family Life Center
