The Crisis Center for South Suburbia recently received a $15,000 donation from the Orland Park Kiwanis Club that will go toward floor renovations at the center’s emergency shelter.

The shelter was built almost 40 years ago, said Lorri Nagle, the advancement officer at the crisis center, and in that time many additions were made to accommodate offices and more bedrooms.

The Crisis Center for South Suburbia provides free emergency shelter, housing, counseling, advocacy and education services.

Over the last three years the crisis center has converted 15 offices into bedrooms, Nagle said. With the 15 additional bedrooms, the shelter’s capacity increased by 54 beds, she said.

“We did that because there is such a huge, unmet need for emergency shelters for victims of domestic violence,” Nagle said.

The bulk of the renovations included moving staff to new office spaces and buying furniture for the new bedrooms, she said.

The final need of the renovations, Nagle said, was replacing carpeting in the 15 new bedrooms. The donation from the Kiwanis Club allowed the center to move forward, with work to begin in the next few weeks.The staff will have to figure out a plan for replacing the floors because the emergency center is almost always at capacity, Nagle said. The typical length of stay is 45 to 60 days, she said.

Nagle said during that time a client spends the first few days decompressing in a safe space. The crisis center staff also works to connect them with resources to build a self-sufficient life, she said.

“We want it to be warm and welcoming for survivors of domestic violence who are coming to us seeking shelter and safety,” Nagle said. “We want them to feel comfortable. We want it to feel like home, and this was the last thing that we needed to do in order to have their personal space feel like home.”

The Orland Park Kiwanis Club raises money through its weekly bingo event and Queen of Hearts raffle, said chapter President Larry McGrenera.

The club donates to about 20 different organizations, McGrenera said, including Orland Township and Ronald McDonald House. A number of the club’s members align with the crisis center, McGrenera said, so the club donates funds when possible.

“We’re looking to use the money we raise to make the community better,” he said.

The Orland Park Kiwanis Club has been a generous donor for the crisis center over the last 30 years, Nagle said. A year ago the club helped to renovate an apartment building the center owns after flood damage.

“They understand our mission,” Nagle said. “They are always there when there is an emergency need, and definitely there when there is an ongoing need.”

akukulka@chicagotribune.com