Casa
de Paz is a state-of-the-art, 17,000-square-foot, 60-bed residential
facility for women and their children who are victims of domestic
violence.
The facility replaced a much smaller, inadequate
15-bed shelter that ADV had operated near downtown Riverside for more
than 20 years and fulfilled a decades-old dream.
The campaign to
build Casa de Paz began in earnest in 2001. Seed money to begin the
project came in the form of a $400,000 federal grant. Then, as if by
providence, a parcel of land was offered near Sun City in central
Riverside County. Over the succeeding months, ADV’s executive director
and board of directors raised a total of $2.4 million in cash and
in-kind services. And, finally, after decades of work, Casa de Paz
opened its doors for the first time in March of 2005.
In
December 2006, Casa de Paz welcomed its 100th shelter client (with a
total of 180 children) and continues to provide longer lengths of stay
for families through its transitional living program.
The shelter had provided 6,587 bed-nights as of Dec. 31, 2006.
"You can’t change overnight. That’s why it takes a lot of support and feedback from others who have been through it, and it takes education. "This is a beautiful place. The staff takes pride in working here and the clients take pride in staying here. We’re all here to help each other. We try to make it as real as possible. I think a healthy community is the main goal for all of us."
