Each April, the Jackson County Board of Commissioners declares Sexual Assault Awareness month. This year was no different, and Executive Director of the Center for Domestic Peace Wesley Myers attended the meeting to give a few updates about the organization’s work in Jackson County.

Too often at the Center for Domestic Peace in Jackson County, a staff member picks up the phone to encounter a client who is trapped in an abusive relationship and ready to seek emergency housing. But then they learn the closest domestic violence shelter is in Franklin, and they back out. 

The Center for Domestic Peace — the successor to REACH of Jackson County — is hoping to take over domestic violence services in Jackson County by next summer. There’s still a long way to go to meet that goal, but board members say that getting the organization on its feet is a vital step toward addressing the issue locally. 

Seven years have passed since REACH of Jackson County suddenly shut down operations due to financial issues, leaving the county without a local organization to help victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.