Shelly Stayer Shelter in Immokalee
The Shelter is Collier County’s dedicated service provider for human trafficking victims, as ratified by Collier County Commissioners and Collier County Sheriff’s Office, Oct. 11, 2016.
In 2016, in response to a growing need for services in Eastern Collier County, The Shelter launched a capital campaign to build the Shelly Stayer Shelter for Victims of Human Trafficking & Domestic Violence (aka The Shelly Stayer Shelter). The campaign acronym RISE lifted up our call for action, asking each of us to:
- Respond to the need
- Inspire others to join
- Support the mission and
- Empower survivors
The campaign began with a $3 million lead gift from Shelter supporter and former board member Shelly Stayer to build a 21,500-square-foot, 60-bed shelter on 5.6 acres of property in Immokalee, FL. Designed by Naples architect David Corban, the facility features three main areas: a section to accommodate the long-term therapeutic needs of victims of human trafficking; a section to shelter victims of domestic abuse; and a section dedicated to Immokalee outreach. The builder wss Build, LLC.
Why Immokalee?
Established in 1997, the services provided by the Immokalee Outreach Office (IOO) have grown exponentially over the years. In 2000, The Shelter was recognized as a national model for its work serving immigrant and migrant battered women through its Immokalee Outreach Office. The addition of an Immokalee emergency shelter will allow survivors to be safe as well as close to their family support systems, employment and their children’s schools. Currently, many survivors return to unsafe circumstances rather than travel to Naples for emergency shelter.
The need to serve victims of human trafficking has also increased in Collier County. Nationally, Florida is among the top four locations for human trafficking. While we live in a community that one might not associate with human trafficking, it is important to note that The Shelter has served 44 victims of human trafficking since 2014. Most of these were victims of sex trafficking.
Increased awareness of human trafficking has led the Collier County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) to dedicate a fulltime detective specifically for human trafficking. On March 6, 2015, the CCSO and Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested 15 traffickers and rescued six women, some of whom were forced to perform 25-45 sex acts a day.
“There is no other agency in Collier County better prepared to address the short and long term needs of domestic violence and human trafficking victims than The Shelter,” said Sheriff Kevin Rambosk.” On Oct. 11, 2016, Collier commissioners and sheriff’s officials recognized this in a memorandum of understanding, naming The Shelter as the county’s foremost service provider to meet the needs of domestic violence and human trafficking victims.
Needs assessment
To measure the need for an emergency facility in Immokalee, The Shelter launched an extensive needs assessment. The study utilized data from law enforcement and judiciary sources, information from focus groups, surveys, interviews with Immokalee residents as well as the input of 32 community organizations.
Updated in 2015, the assessment provided concrete assurance of the need for an emergency shelter in Immokalee. Like the Naples community in 1989, the residents of Immokalee had come together, recognizing the issue of domestic violence and human trafficking and the need for culturally specific services within their community. But county-wide support was needed to make the facility a reality.
It is The Shelter’s firm belief that every human being deserves to live a life free from violence and abuse. This is the reality we seek every day at The Shelter as we work to prevent, protect and prevail over domestic violence and human trafficking. It is a reality we seek for all residents in Collier County, for if a person cannot feel safe in their own home, then they cannot be expected to feel safe anywhere.
Project Bench Marks
October 2016: Shelly Stayer gives a lead gift of $3 million, launching the RISE Campaign to build the Shelly Stayer Shelter for Victims of Human Trafficking & Domestic Violence in Immokalee, FL. The goal of the campaign is $18.1 million.
October 2018: The zoning for project is unanimously approved by the Collier County Planning Commission and Collier County Commissioners.
June 2018: Shelter CEO Linda Oberhaus and members of The Shelter’s Communications Committee travel to Immokalee to meet with community leaders, including the Immokalee Chamber of Commerce, Immokalee Substation, the Guadalupe Center, Boys & Girls Club, representatives of Lipman Family Farms and the Seminole Casino Hotel.
May 2019: Shelly Stayer is joined by her husband Ralph to break ground on the Shelly Stayer Shelter.
September 2019: During a Shelter Board meeting, the builder announces the project is at 50 percent completion and still on track for completion in April 2020. The slideshow above show photos from the builder’s presentation.
May 26, 2020: Due to coronavirus protocols, a small ribbon cutting was held for the Shelly Stayer Shelter. In attendance were Shelter CEO Linda Oberhaus, Lead Benefactors Shelly & Ralph Stayer, and Patricia & Craig Jilk, Benefactors of the Jilk Family Center for Domestic Violence Wings 1 & 2.
