Friends of the Crisis Center, Inc. (Alachua County)

05/02/2026

Looking for something to do on a (finally) rainy day? You might consider going out to the "Voices Rising" community choral concert today (5/2) at 3pm or at 7pm at First Methodist Church in downtown Gainesville!

Voices Rising is an intergenerational community chorus in Gainesville, Florida. We sing a wide variety of secular and sacred choral music, from classical to jazz, pop and showtunes.

12/28/2025

Looking to donate to a nonprofit before the year ends? Friends of the Crisis Center is always looking for community support. Your donations help support volunteers of the Alachua County Crisis Center perform their duties and the maintenance of the Judy Broward Survivors of Su***de Loss Memory Garden.

Please consider donating if you are able to do so. We are here to support the community as best as we can.

Send a message to learn more

12/28/2025

As the year comes to a close, Friends would like to share thanks and gratitude for the past year.

First, Friends would like to acknowledge both Ali Martinez, former director of the Alachua County Crisis Center, and Ariel Drescher, a staff member of Crisis Center who succeeded Ali as director. Ali was a strong leader who saw the Crisis Center through tremendous change with the national lifeline. Friends has worked with both of them closely in their respective roles for years, especially with planning for our yearly vigil. We are grateful to Ali for her dedication to the Crisis Center as director and wish her well on her future endeavors, and we wish Ariel well in her new role as director.

Friends would like to thank both the City of Gainesville and University City Church of Christ for their support in making our yearly vigil happen. Having the space (and the parking!) for the event ensures we can reach as many people as possible.

Friends would like to thank Susan Nugent and the Alachua County Master Gardeners for their help in making the garden and beautiful as it is. They regularly check in with the garden and ensure that any need for work is done.

Friends would like to thank Beth DeSimone for her yearly softball tournament, this year in its 8th iteration. Running the event is tireless work; we cannot overstate how much this event means to us at

Thank you to Joe Thigpen, president of Friends of the Crisis Center, and the Friends of the Crisis Center board, for the continuous support for the memorial garden as well as the volunteers of the Alachua County Crisis Center.

Thank you to Judy and Chuck Broward, both of whom brought the vision of the memorial garden into a reality. Without them, the vigil would not be what it is today.

Thank you to the many donors and supporters of Friends of the Crisis Center. Your giving helps us support both Crisis Center volunteers and the memorial garden.

Finally, thank you to all the volunteers and staff of the Alachua County Crisis Center. Your passion and dedication help so many people every day when they are in their most desperate moments. Friends has always and will always do what is necessary to support you in whatever way they can.

Send a message to learn more

12/02/2025

Today is Giving Tuesday. If you are able to do so, please consider donating to Friends of the Crisis Center. The money goes towards supporting the volunteers of the Alachua County Crisis Center and our memory garden. If you are not able to donate, consider sharing this post (and this flyer) to get the word out.

04/24/2025

Hello friends,

We want to reach out about the Amazing Give, which is happening tomorrow, April 24th, 2025 from 8am to 8pm ET. The Amazing Give is a time set aside for organizations like Friends to raise money for their various endeavors. In our case, the money we raise goes towards supporting our volunteers and the Judy Broward Survivors of Su***de Loss Memory Garden.

If you're able to donate even just a few dollars, it will help us support the Alachua County Crisis Center and, in turn, support the countless number of people who make use of its services every year.

You can donate to Friends of the Crisis Center during the Amazing Give by going to https://www.theamazinggive.org/organizations/friends-of-the-crisis-center and typing in a donation amount or using one of the preselected options.

As always, no matter if you're able to donate or not, we appreciate the support that you all show us. If you ever need help, don't hesitate to dial either 988 (for the 988 lifeline) or 352.264.6789 (for the Alachua County Crisis Center).

Send a message to learn more

12/03/2024

Thank you to the city of Gainesville and University City Church of Christ for allowing us to hold the vigil like we do. The city permits us to gather in the garden, and University City Church of Christ generously allows attendees to park for the event. Without the help of both, our vigil would not be as meaningful.

Thank you to the Alachua County Master Gardeners, led by Susan Nugent. It is the careful attention to detail every month that keeps the garden in excellent shape and provides the beauty that attendees have the pleasure of experiencing.

Thank you to all the donors and supporters of Friends of the Crisis Center. It is your contributions and support that help Friends keep the garden looking beautiful in addition to helping us support volunteers.

Thank you to Beth DeSimone, who held the 7th iteration of her yearly charity softball tournament this year in support of Friends of the Crisis Center. Beth is a good friend to Friends, and we are always indebted to her gratitude.

Thank you to the Friends of the Crisis Center board, led by Joe Thigpen. The board provides yearly support not just for the garden and vigil but for all of the activities that support the people of Alachua County.

Thank you to Karina and Terri, the Friends board members responsible to managing the garden along with Gainesville and Alachua County. Once again they've cultivated a sacred space to not only hold the vigil but to reflect on the ones we love most.

Friends is eternally grateful to Judy and Chuck Broward. The vigil and garden would not exist without either of their vision and commitment. We still remember them fondly and hope to continue their legacy for years to come.

Thank you to the staff of the Alachua County Crisis Center, led by its director Dr. Ali Martinez. Staff provide support for us the day of the vigil. Special thanks for Director Martinez and Ariel Drescher for speaking at the vigil.

Finally, thank you to the volunteers of the Alachua County Crisis Center, both past and present. It is your hard work and effort that helps the community in their time of need.

As always, if you need to talk to someone this holiday season, you can reach the Alachua County Crisis Center by calling 352.264.6789, or you can reach the 988 Lifeline by calling 988.

Send a message to learn more

11/23/2022

Hello everyone. As you know, our vigil was held Saturday morning. We were honored to once again host it and make space for attendees.

As we are entering Thanksgiving weekend, we want to give thanks right now to those who have not only helped with the garden but also those who have supported Friends.

Thank you to the City of Gainesville for allowing us to have the vigil at the garden, and thank you to University City Church of Christ for allowing us to use their parking lot during the morning of the vigil. Both ensured a seamless experience for people attending the vigil this past weekend.

Thank you to Blackadder Brewing Company for letting us participate during their September Bingo Night event again. We had so much fun being there, and you all were as gracious with us as always.

Thank you to our friend Beth DeSimone for once again raising funds for Friends through her yearly softball tournament. We always enjoy coming out to watch the games. Just as with Blackadder, we are able to continue because of your generosity.

Thank you to the many other donors and supporters of Friends of the Crisis Center. Your giving helps us support both Crisis Center volunteers and the memorial garden.

Thank you to the Friends of the Crisis Center board, currently under the leadership of Joe Thigpen. It is because of you that we are able to plan and execute on our initiatives such as the vigil.

Thank you to the Alachua County Master Gardeners, led by Susan Nugent. They all come around to the garden once a month and help with maintenance, and they provide a guiding hand when work days are held at the garden.

Thank you to the many volunteers that help make our garden beautiful. The space is what it is because of your dedication and commitment.

Thank you to Judy and Chuck Broward, both of whom brought the vision of the garden into a reality. Without them, the vigil would not be what it is.

Thank you to Karina and Terri, Friends of the Crisis Center board members who help manage the garden with the master gardeners and others. You are both tasked with carrying out Judy's vision and always step up to the challenge of watching over the garden and the vigil.

Thank you to the staff of the Alachua County Crisis Center, led by its director Ali Martinez. In addition to helping lead the Crisis Center, you all provide support when we need it most.

Finally - and certainly, most importantly -, thank you to all the volunteers of the Alachua County Crisis Center. You are on the front lines of su***de prevention and the reason Friends exists at all; you are the ones who answer the call to action. Without you and your dedication, we would not be here.

I hope you all have a happy and safe Thanksgiving. As always, if you need to talk to someone this holiday season, you can reach the Alachua County Crisis Center by calling 352.264.6789, or you can reach the 988 Lifeline by calling 988.

03/06/2022

Made it to the 5th Mark "Chunk" Sandler Memorial Invitational! It's a great day for some games. There's still time to come on out and support it, so hopefully we'll see you there :)

03/05/2022

Our dear friend Beth DeSimone is once again holding a fundraising event for Friends of the Crisis Center this weekend (March 5-6) in Live Oak. Please come out, support the event, and thank Beth for all of her hard work. The flyer is below; the address for the event is 1201 Silas Dr SW, Live Oak, FL 32064.

01/27/2021

On Wednesday, January 27th at 7pm, Congregation B'nai Israel will be streaming an event on mental health that will be attended by the Alachua County Crisis Center. Viewers may submit questions that will be answered. Please visit https://boxcast.tv/view/interview-with-alachua-crises-center-460449 for the event.

Foe more information, please refer to Congregation B'nai Israel's flyer linked below.

This is it!! Our new series on Social Justice begins tomorrow! Each session in the series will cover a different topic, and we will partner with various individuals and organizations to bring awareness to the issues we are facing and what WE can do.

Watch live tomorrow, January 27th, at 7:00 PM, as we're joined by the Alachua County Crisis Center. Information will be made available to submit questions via text or email in real time. If you have any questions, please email [email protected]

https://boxcast.tv/view/interview-with-alachua-crises-center-460449