Peaceful Paths realizes that individuals and families are sometimes forced to leave the safety and comfort of their own communities because it is no longer safe. We provide secure, temporary shelter for displaced victims of Alachua, Bradford and Union counties on a 24-hour basis. Our shelter is staffed by trained advocates that can provide emotional support through this tough time; crisis counseling, information, referrals and safety support along with functional items needed for daily life are available for all residents throughout the entire shelter stay. We provide services to all survivors of intimate partner violence regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, gender identity, mental or physical ability, sexual orientation, citizenship, immigration status, marital status or language spoken. While the shelter structure has space limitations, Peaceful Paths will make reasonable accommodations to ensure appropriate services to all eligible individuals and families seeking support.

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The shelter is designed to function as a temporary home away from home with a common living room, kitchen/dining room, playroom and several bathrooms. There are 5 smaller bedrooms for families and one larger shared bedroom for individuals. The surrounding property is set away from regularly traveled areas and is monitored by staff at all times. We strive to make the shelter environment comfortable, peaceful and safe.

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Services in shelter are geared toward each individual or family and what they need during their stays. We realize needs change depending on the circumstances out of the residents’ control and staff is prepared to work with every person to create a plan of action based on their resources and strengths. In addition to emergency shelter services and individual case planning support, we offer in house support groups that may facilitate personal growth and sharing among residents. Our aim is to create a physically and emotionally safe place for victims to start their paths to becoming survivors, however they choose.

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People seeking emergency shelter services can contact our help line (352-377-8255) for more details including shelter screening procedures. Outreach program participants can also speak to their advocates about emergency shelter.