Our Story

Peace Place gained 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in 2020, becoming an independent organization to better serve our rapidly growing number of families in need of respite care. While we remain deeply grateful for the women and men of the First Presbyterian Church who founded Peace Place, our expansion required us to mutually transition out of the church space, moving into our own facility in 2024. Today, Peace Place operates as a fully independent, non–faith-based organization dedicated to providing accessible, high-quality, and completely free respite care for families raising children with special needs.

Originally founded in 2011 as a mission of the First Presbyterian Church, Peace Place began by offering just one respite session per week. Over time, community need and program success led to significant growth. We now serve 30+ children each week, offering two respite programs (morning and after-school) five days a week. Since its inception, Peace Place has provided over 10,000 individual respite sessions to dozens of families throughout our community.

Our services not only provide parents and caregivers with essential rest and support, but also help families remain active in the workforce, sustain healthy routines, and prevent crisis situations. Families raising children with developmental or medical diagnoses face extraordinary stress and are at higher risk for family instability, self-harm and child abuse. Peace Place stands at the forefront of prevention and family stability, providing rest, resources, and real-life support that help keep home and communities safe, healthy, and hopeful.

Our motto is Together We Can!