WILMINGTON — The New Hanover County Community Justice Center, which opened last month after securing a $3.4-million grant from the New Hanover Community Endowment, has announced a new leader to its staff.
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The CJC Board of Directors appointed Joanne Cain as its director of program operations. Cain will step into the role on Nov. 4.
Cain has two decades of social services work, including with community organizations. She served as vice president of shelter services for Roof Above, a network of shelters in Charlotte. The emergency shelter housed more than 550 men experiencing homelessness nightly and offered trauma-informed care, program development and resource optimization.
Previously, Cain also served as homeless services director for Good Shepherd Center in Wilmington.
“We are delighted to welcome Joanne Cain to this important and transformative role as we work to establish the Community Justice Center as a reliable source of hope, healing and justice and an efficient partner with nonprofits, law enforcement, and the local District Attorney’s Office,” said CJC Chief Legal Counsel and CEO Ben David, the county’s former DA who retired ahead of CJC’s opening.
Located in the Harrelson Center on Fourth Street — which obtained from the endowment a $1.5-million grant to staff and outfit CJC’s operations — the CJC is modeled after the Family Justice Center concept, pioneered by former San Diego attorney Casey Gwinn and championed by President George W. Bush. More than 100 have been launched across the country.
Like other family justice centers, the New Hanover County CJC focuses its help for “reluctant victims,” mainly women and children experiencing abuse. The goal is for them to be able to tell their stories to police, prosecutors and others only one time, as CJC’s operations bring the help of allied nonprofit organizations, county law enforcement and WPD detectives, as well as county attorneys into one place.
However, David said the CJC takes the model a step further, by also targeting youth violence, something few centers are doing.
The space is open for people seeking to obtain protective orders, file police reports, and receive help from advocates within local organizations to access emergency needs, emotional and mental support, and more. The CJC is open 24/7 (the hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with agencies allowed 24/7 access for emergencies).
“The CJC aims to strengthen community resilience and safety, which aligns with the work I’ve done throughout my career in Wilmington and Charlotte,” Cain said in a release.
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