Brookwood Florida eyes expansion to create safe haven for more girls
Brookwood Florida needs to expand
FOX 13's Mark Wilson shares the community help that is needed to continue helping house and empower teenage girls.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Brookwood Florida has been providing confidential care, housing and empowering teenage girls for decades. But the need is so great, its leaders said they need to expand to keep up with demand.
"These girls have experienced unimaginable trauma," said Brookwood Florida's Executive Director Angie Gibney.
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The backstory:
Brookwood has been a safe haven for teenage girls between the ages of 13 and 17 years old for decades. Gibney joined Brookwood 14 years ago as a counselor hoping to be one of Brookwood's difference makers and now leads their team of staff and counselors.
"These girls really did need our help and I did not know how emotional it was going to be," Gibney told FOX 13. "They really need – not only a safe shelter – but life skills to help them get through even just day-to-day activities."
By the numbers:
Brookwood Florida is nestled on a quiet two-acre lot in the shadow of downtown St. Petersburg, serving more than 12,000 girls since 1927. More than just a refuge and a home, it's a family that the girls desperately need.
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A majority of them have bounced around foster homes their entire lives and are at risk of abuse or human trafficking. A recent USF study has shown an alarming trend in sex trafficking cases in Florida. More than 700,000 people were targeted in 2024 and 100,000 were children.
So, Brookwood provides them with mental health counseling, education, employment readiness and independent living training.
"We need to build them up with their self-esteem, so that they can stand up to these predators when they do arrive. Unfortunately, the girls in foster care are targeted because of that," Gibney said.
Big picture view:
They're at capacity now and hope to double their capacity by building several new cottages on their campus.
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"Our capacity right now is 13 girls, and we'd like to get to housing around 30 [once the new cottages are funded and built]," Gibney said.
Construction crews recently demolished an aging building on site that will make room for those cottages — something more modern and comfortable. With sex trafficking on the rise, Gibney said the need is greater than ever to give teen girls a safe place and from every corner of the state.
"We get multiple referrals daily from all over Florida, especially since we focus on those who are at risk for human trafficking," Gibney told FOX 13.
So, they'll have no trouble filling the space once it's available.
Dig deeper:
The impact has been a lasting one. Gibney said they've had residents come back later in life to volunteer and one has even joined their staff as a counselor.
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Jessica Tonkin is another. She used to be a resident at Brookwood when she was 15 years old and is now back volunteering.
"This is my first time coming out here since the building has come down," she told FOX 13's Mark Wilson as they walked the campus.
Opening that door into her past hasn't come so easily.
"You don't want people to look at you with pity and, for me – that's what it was," Tonkin said. "I don't want to hear ‘oh, she struggled.’ This is where I am today," she said defiantly.
"I didn't know Brookwood existed before I came here," Tonkin said. "I'm just thankful and want to give back."
Tonkin is now an advanced practice nurse practitioner with a wellness clinic in St. Pete. She's back at Brookwood Florida, now serving as chair of their board of directors, helping raise funds, awareness and overseeing their new growth plan and helping it become more of a community resource.
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Tonkin also hopes to inspire residents with her strength.
"I want the girls here to know that [there is hope] and to take a little more effort in planning their own future and deciding what they want for their life," Tonkin said.
With that, comes believing in the power of a second chance.
What's next:
Brookwood Florida has a golf tournament coming up in a few weeks, September 26 at the Bayou Club. Tonkin said there's a lot of support behind it already, so they're excited about the event.
"Golfers are generous, we have raffles and some great auction items. It's just a fun day," Tonkin said.
Click here if you'd like to sign up for the event. For more information on the organization, click here.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Mark Wilson.