NEW PORT RICHEY, FL -- Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles, Esq. joined fellow elected officials and community partners to cut the ribbon on the Empowerment Room at the West Pasco Judicial Center—a dedicated space for emergency filings that prioritizes privacy and dignity.
“At our front counters, we routinely assist individuals who are experiencing sensitive and often deeply traumatic circumstances, including injunctions for domestic, dating, repeat, and sexual violence, as well as stalking and cyberstalking,” said Clerk Alvarez-Sowles. “We also serve people navigating challenges related to mental health, substance use, and the exploitation of vulnerable adults. We approach each interaction with compassion and purpose.”
Among the speakers was Mickenzie, a domestic violence survivor. When she first sought help, there was no Empowerment Room. Just walking through the courthouse doors was a deeply emotional moment. “When I first came through those doors, it was very scary. They basically told me, here you go, here’s a packet. It’s about five hundred pages. Good luck,” said Mickenzie. “When they call your number, you feel this sickness in your stomach. You don’t know what to do or what [your] next minute, day, or week is going to look like.”
Mickenzie believes the Empowerment Room will make a difference for others. “I am here to tell the other survivors: you are not alone, and I encourage you to speak out. Say something to your family. Say something to a friend. Say something to a stranger. You are not alone,” she said. “And with this room, I really feel people are going to feel more empowered.”
Also in attendance were Chief Judge Shawn Crane of the Sixth Judicial Circuit; Ann Marie Lavare, program coordinator for The Salvation Army; Kelly Sinn, chief executive officer of Sunrise of Pasco; and artist Lillian Cucuzza, whose work is displayed in the Empowerment Rooms in New Port Richey and Dade City.
“There was a clear need for an Empowerment Room on the west side of Pasco County,” said Clerk Alvarez-Sowles. “In 2023, we opened our first Empowerment Room at the Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center in Dade City. That year, our team processed more than 1,200 protective injunctions in Dade City and over 1,700 in New Port Richey. Those figures made it clear a similar space was needed at the West Pasco Judicial Center.”