The Park City Peace House has been open since 1995. The domestic violence shelter is dedicated to ending interpersonal violence and abuse by providing safe housing, support services and prevention education.
Executive Director Kendra Wyckoff said the most dangerous time for a domestic violence victim is when they flee their home and the abuser senses a loss of control. Domestic violence shelters started as grassroots efforts to keep women and children safe.
“Because of safety and security reasons, they were often undisclosed, so that abusive partners would not be able to find the family,” Wyckoff said.
These types of secret facilities have guidelines victims must follow to keep the shelter secure. Wyckoff said victims in shelters often can’t tell friends and family where they are and might not be able to access other resources.
The Peace House was undisclosed originally, disguised among other similar homes on Marsac Drive.
“What we know and learned here, even locally, is that when you have a facility in a community for 20-plus years, people begin to learn the location,” Wyckoff said.
The Peace House has since decided to create a community hub for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Its unique approach is getting national attention including a recent op-ed in The New York Times. The facility provides shelter, case management, counseling and legal advocacy personnel. People at the shelter can also tell trusted family where they are and get support from them.
To keep the facility as safe as possible, Wyckoff said they have multiple security systems, restricted access and work closely with law enforcement. There have been a few times where an abusive partner tried to access the building, but Wyckoff said they immediately call law enforcement and don’t engage with unknown people.
“I can tell you probably 98% of the time when we've had folks that we could not identify on our campus, it's been people lost in the community, it's been folks who have parked in our parking lot thinking this is a great place to park and going to jump up on the trails behind the building here.”
Locals who want to learn more about the impact of domestic violence on children can attend the Peace House’s free screening of the movie “This is Where I Learned Not to Sleep.” The movie is about a Nashville cop who was a victim of domestic violence as a child and later joined law enforcement to help others in similar situations.
After the film on March 7, the Peace House will host a panel discussion with members from the Park City Police Department, the Peace House and the Children’s Justice Center.
