ORANGE PARK – The Pace Center for Girls needs your help to win a $25,000 grant.

State Farm’s Neighborhood Assist builds up communities around the nation with different grants and the local Pace Center is up for a grant that could go a long way to help girls in the county struggling with incarceration, trauma, poverty and a number of other problems that girls in Clay County deal with. It’s money that could help girls like Marilyn.

“I went through a lot of mental health difficulties,” Marilyn said. “Self-harming, trying to kill myself every, getting baker acted a lot...my ninth-grade year, second semester, I barely attended because of how often I was being Baker Acted.”

Marilyn was getting help through Clay Behavioral when Pace was recommended to her. She remembers saying “no, no, no” to Pace before finally giving in and agreeing to three days at the center. She barely remembers those three days and was baker acted soon after. This eventually led to her getting help from a longer-term facility. When she got out, she returned to Pace.

The first few months weren’t easy, she said, but public school wasn’t recommended so she stuck with Pace. Those first few months consisted of panic attacks, sleeping in classes, anxiety and other bad things.

“I just stuck at it and kept growing and growing and growing,” Marilyn said. “I was doing more things, feeling confident, and I realized that Pace had given me the coping skills and help I needed to move forward toward a better future.”

Marilyn is now three classes away from graduating from school and holds a job that keeps her busy when she’s not working on homework. She’s been dubbed the Student of the Week recently and said she’s never felt more amazing in life.

“Before Pace, I thought I’d end up dead somewhere by my own hand,” Marilyn said. “Now I’m graduating soon and on time and it’s amazing.”

It was a very similar story to Marilyn that may help Pace receive the State Farm grant. Its headquarters determined a new avenue in this grant application, different to what it had done in years past, and it consisted of getting personable and telling a very-real, very-human story from a Pace girl. That girl was named Katie and she’s a Pace alumni who’s now in college and working, a story that Marilyn hopes to be telling of herself soon.

Pace is one of 200 national finalists for the grant. It needs Clay County’s help now to take home the $25,000. They need votes. You can vote for Clay County’s Pace Center at this link: https://www.neighborhoodassist.com/entry/2034419.

“Twenty-five thousand dollars would make a significant contribution to our capital campaign,” Pace executive director Destani Shadrick said. “This is a great opportunity for not just locally but for us to really gain national attention and attention all around the state. This grant could help thousands of girls by putting Pace on the map and in the national spotlight.”

Shadrick said Clay County residents should keep an eye on Pace’s social channels like Facebook and keep an eye out on LinkedIn and on their website as well.

“I have a very, very strong connection with Pace,” Marilyn said. “It made me feel like I wasn’t worthless. I wouldn’t be where I am today without Pace and this grant could help so many others feel the same.”