PR Contact:
Kay Phelan
Phelan & Lowry, Ltd.
850-376-1551
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
St. Joe Community Foundation gives ECCAC important grant funds
DeFuniak Springs FL (January 13, 2026)…The Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center (ECCAC) received a generous $70,000 grant donation from the St. Joe Community Foundation. Created in 1999, the Foundation provides grants to non-profit organizations in Northwest Florida in the areas of education, environmental, stewardship, healthcare and cultural arts.
According to ECCAC CEO, Julie Porterfield, “Through our Pierce Family Children’s Center in DeFuniak Springs, these important funds will serve Walton County for two important purposes. One will allocate $40,000 toward our “Child Safety Matters” prevention program in schools, and secondly, another $30,000 will provide mental health counseling for child victims of abuse. As well, the St. Joe Community Foundation donated an additional $3,000 that was a major help for ECCAC to provide Christmas gifts for children and families in Walton County. We are so thankful to the St. Joe Community Foundation for these funds.”
“The St. Joe Community Foundation appreciates the vital services and support Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy provides to Walton County and its most vulnerable children,” said April Wilkes, Executive Director of the St. Joe Community Foundation. “We are proud to continue supporting their mission and the important work they do for children and families in our community.”
Statistics show that one in four girls and one in six boys will experience sexual abuse before the age of 18. Education is one of the most powerful tools to prevent child abuse. ECCAC’s “Child Safety Matters” teaches personal safety and awareness to help children gain knowledge and confidence that reduce their risk of becoming victims of sexual abuse, physical abuse, human trafficking, online exploitation, and other forms of harm. During 2024, the program delivered 9,201 sessions of child safety to Walton County students in grades K-5.
ECCAC’s mental health program provides trauma-focused licensed therapist counseling to child victims of abuse in a child-friendly environment. Many of these children have endured the most severe forms of abuse, including sexual abuse. Through therapy, children learn coping skills, build resilience, and develop tools to lead healthy, productive lives. In 2024, the program delivered 739 counseling hours to child abuse victims residing in Walton County.
Though ECCAC does not house children, they have provided over 200,000 services to children and their families at no cost in their Okaloosa and Walton County centers. Working together with their agency partners, generous donors, dedicated volunteers, and a caring community, over the past 25 years, ECCAC has helped more than 33,000 children experiencing abuse, abandonment and neglect.
For more information, visit www.eccac.org, If abuse is suspected, report it by calling the anonymous Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-96-ABUSE.
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