Did you know that one hundred twenty eight deaths in Georgia in 2012 were attributed to domestic violence. (GCFV, GCADV, 2012)?
Did you know that “Georgia is ranked 10th in the United States for the rate at which men kill women, in single-victim homicides, most of which are domestic violence-related murders” (GCFV, GCADV, 2012, p. 6)?
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Did you know that “on average, more than three women and one man are murdered by their intimate partners in this country every day” (Bureau of Justice Statistics Crime Data Brief, Intimate Partner Violence, 1993-2001, February 2003; Bureau of Justice Statistics, Intimate Partner Violence in the U.S. 1993-2004, 2006).
Did you know that there is a local agency that serves the victims and survivors of domestic violence?
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Peace Place, Inc. is the domestic violence program that serves Banks, Barrow and Jackson counties. Established in 2000, Peace Place has provided emergency shelter to approximately 1,900 survivors and their children. The agency answers approximately 2,400 crisis calls annually and served 1,466 people in shelter, transitional housing and outreach in 2012.
There are many services and programs that Peace Place offers to the community. In addition to the 24-hour crisis hotline (770-586-0927), we provide safe shelter, transitional housing, support groups and outreach services, safety planning, assistance completing Temporary Protective Orders (TPOs) and informational workshops for local businesses and organizations.
Peace Place is primarily funded by grants, state and federal funding. In order to help fund our services, Peace Place operates a Thrift Store in Jefferson, GA. The Peace Place Thrift Store accepts donations of clothing, appliances, housewares, shoes, etc. Those donations are sold to customers and donated to women, children and men who are in shelter and transitional housing. In addition, the Thrift Store has a recycling program and accepts donations of rags, handbags, shoes, metal, books, belts, hats, and stuffed animals. Please drop any items for resale off at the Thrift Store and separately bag or box any recyclable items and label them “recycle”. If you have a larger item to donate, such as furniture or an appliance, please call the Thrift Store to schedule a pick-up (706-387-5006).
Hopefully by now you agree that domestic violence is an issue facing our community and you are wondering how you can help. There are many ways to get involved and give back to your community!
If you’d like to help, you can:
1.) Donate items on the shelter’s wish list to the shelter directly. Peace Place’s wish list can be found here. Please call our administrative line at (770)307-3633 to schedule a pick-up of your items.
2.) Donate your used items (clothing, appliances, furniture, books, etc.) to the Thrift Store.
3.) Donate your time! We need volunteers to work at the Thrift Store, to babysit, to work a table at awareness events, to serve as Board members, to help with fundraising events, etc. Shelter volunteers can be utilized to answer Hotline calls, tutor the children, or provide your specific skills or talents to the survivors (like Mary Kay facials, resume-writing workshops, etc.). Board members meet monthly for Board meetings and Board members are encouraged to participate in committees within the Board.
4.) Shop at the Thrift Store.
5.) Help spread the word about Peace Place, the services we provide, and the prevalence of domestic violence in our community. “Like” the Peace Place, Inc. and the Peace Place Thrift Store Facebook pages and share our pages on your Facebook wall. We post information about domestic violence statistics, volunteer opportunities and programs as well as sales at the Thrift Store.
6.) Donate funds to help the women, children and men receive legal assistance, pay medical bills, buy personal hygiene items, secure housing, repair automobiles and much more. If you would like to contribute financial resources, please do so by clicking here.
Businesses and Groups who would like to support Peace Place can:
1.) Provide financial contributions.
2.) Have donation drives for money or items needed at Peace Place (toilet paper, school supplies, gas cards, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, etc.).
3.) Invite someone from Peace Place to speak to your group to provide education and awareness.
The women, children and men served by Peace Place are strong and resilient people who are fighting for their lives instead of fearing for them. They are fighting to live the lives they were meant to live. They hope for a future that is safe, free, and happy. Whether we know it or not, we probably all know someone who has been abused, maybe they are our neighbor, or a friend, perhaps a parent, or even ourselves. As community members of Banks, Barrow, and Jackson counties, let’s pull together in support of victims and survivors, and in support of Peace Place. Contact Peace Place to contribute TODAY!
Peace Place, Inc.
“Effecting Change-Ending Domestic Violence”
(770)307-3633
http://www.peaceplaceinc.org
https://www.facebook.com/PeacePlaceInc
https://www.facebook.com/PeacePlaceThriftStore
