Glory Reitz
Peaceful Paths Domestic Abuse Network, Inc. has existed under three different names since its inception 50 years ago, but the heart of its mission to bring hope and healing has never changed. This year, the organization celebrates 50 years and strives for ongoing success in its outreach to domestic abuse survivors.
Peaceful Paths is the only certified domestic violence center serving Alachua, Bradford and Union Counties, and it has earned state recognition for its diligent, successful work.
Law enforcement, child welfare and other community partners identify over 2,500 victims annually, according to a Peaceful Paths news release.
Peaceful Paths provides free and confidential services based on an empowerment model aimed at helping survivors on a path to self-sufficiency, whatever that looks like.
“We make sure that, first of all, every service that we provide is accessible to people where they’re at,” Executive Director Theresa Beachy said in a phone interview. “Our empowerment philosophy is really to walk beside you as you go through this journey, and help you figure out what’s best for you.”
Beachy said Peaceful Paths assesses survivors’ levels of safety and need for support, then helps them define what self-sufficiency would look like in their lives. For some people, that means financial independence, for others it is emotional. Peaceful Paths’ goal is to focus on each person’s vision for their own life.
Peaceful Paths has advocates available 24/7, reachable by calling 352-377-8255 or texting 352-727-0948. But Beachy said people often do not know what domestic abuse looks like, so they do not reach out for help.
Today, the organization provides a wide range of services, including emergency shelter, victim advocacy, children’s programming, economic empowerment education and support, crisis counseling and support groups, community awareness and intervention, and violence prevention programs.
Peaceful Paths originated in 1974 as a grassroots organization to fight sexual violence, calling itself the Rape Information and Counseling Service (RICS).
Two years in, RICS expanded to include battered women in its services and established a spouse abuse hotline in 1977.
In September 1977, the agency incorporated and changed its name to the Sexual and Physical Abuse Resource Center (SPARC). At the beginning of 1978, SPARC opened a shelter with its first client by the spring.
The agency rebranded as Peaceful Paths Domestic Abuse Network, Inc. in 2000, the year Beachy was hired, to better reflect its mission to serve survivors of domestic violence and their children.
Joe Johnson is one of the longest-sitting members of the Peaceful Paths executive board. He has served for nearly 30 years now, having joined in the 1990s after his ex-wife was murdered by her new husband.
Johnson said hiring Beachy in 2000 marked a turning point for the organization. When Johnson joined, Peaceful Paths was “invisible,” tucked away “in the middle of a forest” in southwest Gainesville. By the time Beachy was hired, the organization had moved downtown, but had already outgrown its space there and was purchasing a new property.
Since Beachy came on, Johnson said Peaceful Paths’ recognition from the community and the state has skyrocketed. He said the organization is making a difference in the community, not only through the services it provides survivors, but by educating young people about what domestic violence is.
“They just want them to be able to realize it, and to speak up,” Johnson said in a phone interview. “Because too many of the ladies have just sat around and have taken it, and they should not do that.”
Johnson said his ex-wife, who he was on good terms with at the time, called him three days before she was killed to ask him to keep their son at his house. She told him she was planning to leave her new husband because he was not who she had thought he was, but two days later it was too late.
Johnson said it is his legacy to his ex-wife to serve with Peaceful Paths and spread the word that men should appreciate women more than they do.
“As long as I can work with them, I will,” Johnson said. “Because no woman deserves that type of cruelty, and what goes on with some of these guys now is just totally ridiculous. And being a male, I want them to see that it’s not women against men.”
Beachy said days like March 12, when a Lawtey woman and her two daughters were killed in a domestic incident, are the worst days for her. She said that kind of incident reminds her that after all the work Peaceful Paths does, there are still domestic abuse victims who do not know about or reach out to the organization.
“I think that’s the hardest part of the work for us,” Beachy said. “Is that we know that, despite the incredible number of services that we do every year… there are still far more victims than what we’re able to reach.”
Alachua County Sheriff Emery Gainey said in a press release that Peaceful Paths plays a crucial role by offering a safe environment for survivors to seek shelter and support as they “navigate the challenges of domestic violence.”
“This collaboration not only offers a lifeline to those in need but also underscores the importance of community support and coordinated efforts in addressing such critical issues,” Gainey said. “Congratulations to Peaceful Paths on this significant milestone, and to many more years of making a positive impact in the lives of those affected by domestic violence.”
The release also included a statement from a current survivor in residential services, expressing gratitude for the services.
“I am beyond grateful for the last year I have spent with Peaceful Paths, and all the healing and growth I have accomplished with your help,” the survivor said. “I have found a wonderful place to call home. Here’s to new beginnings!”
Beachy said Peaceful Paths, like other human services organizations, cannot set universal benchmarks to measure its success, as every person is different. However, Beachy said she can judge success by the general impact she sees in the community, and by survivors going out and leading “normal” lives.
“What Peaceful Paths does, and what we have created, really is a legacy of hope in this community,” Beachy said. “Our tagline is ‘hope happens here.’ We take that very seriously, and I think… the most important outcome is that survivors walk away from our programs feeling like they have options and knowing that, regardless of what happens in the future, they have a place where it’s safe.”
Beachy said Peaceful Paths is a space for survivors to feel connected, where they can solve problems and find advocates.
Johnson said there is no doubt that Peaceful Paths has made a difference in the community. He said one of the best things about the organization is all the staff members who are passionate about their work, but would be happy to work themselves out of a job.
“All I can do is just gloat and glow when I talk about it because I love the agency itself,” Johnson said.
Just last year, Peaceful Paths served 2,251 survivors in person, 1,935 of whom were reaching out for the first time.
The organization handled 2,608 helpline calls and 837 high-risk calls. It served 828 legal clients, provided 616 injunction services and served 8,105 children and youth in the community.
“My office relies heavily on the services provided by Peaceful Paths,” said State Attorney Brian Kramer, Eighth Judicial Circuit, in a release. “Their team’s wide programming from prevention, support, and advocacy to training and education are invaluable to their clients, law enforcement, and prosecutors alike. I personally want to thank the Dr. Beachy, this organization and their team for what I know are countless lives saved over the last 50 years in the Eighth Judicial Circuit.”
Peaceful Paths is celebrating its anniversary with a public art exhibit, using artwork loaned by local artists, collectors, survivors and youth makers. The exhibit, called “Hope Works: A Celebration of Peaceful Paths 50 Years of Saving Lives and Creating Change,” is intended to generate awareness, allies, and donors to raise $150,000 toward agency investment.
The show will be open April 5-May 5 at the Peaceful Paths Outreach Office in Gainesville.
Beachy said she wanted the 50-year celebration to be accessible and meaningful for anyone, which is why Peaceful Paths settled on an art exhibit instead of something fancy like a gala.
While the art is on display, a Tree of Hope mural will be underway in the main lobby, featuring donors and sponsors.
During the show, Peaceful Paths will host private tours, community gatherings, and highlight the Amazing Give event. At the closing night on May 5, the Tree of Hope mural will be revealed.
Survivor artworks will remain open for viewing through October 2024.
