18 Jul 2026 A door to survival

Posted at 8:50 PMh in Features by

By Donna Lampkin Stephens

With the June opening of the Forest of Hope Family Peace Center in Little Rock, victims of domestic violence in the 501 and beyond have a warm, welcoming place to help navigate one of the worst experiences of their lives.

Photos by Clay Sutton

Housing multiple critical services under one roof “to provide a coordinated, survivor-centered approach to safety, healing and long-term stability,” the Women & Children First center is the only one of its kind in the state.

In escaping domestic violence, the average victim must navigate more than 20 different agencies, including police, prosecutors, legal aid, counseling, medical care, employment services and housing advocates, in order to build a new life.

“Each (agency) is a spot where they can turn around and go back because it’s so hard to get out (of the violence),” Daniel Robinson, co-chair of WCF’s Campaign of Courage fundraising campaign, said during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 28. “Domestic violence is a community problem, and this is going to be a community solution.”

WCF is Arkansas’ largest and longest-running domestic violence shelter, having served survivors for more than 45 years.

Angela McGraw, CEO, said, “This (shelter) is for the person who doesn’t know where to go when everything falls apart. If you are a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking or stalking, you are welcome.”

The new center, which replaces the previous one on Main Street in Little Rock, will include 132 beds for women, children and men (up from the previous WCF shelter’s 54), with pet kennels so that victims of abuse don’t have to choose between their safety and their furry family members. It will open in phases: 75 beds in Year 1, an additional 25 in Year 2, and another 32 in Year 3.

Ultimately, it will encompass nearly 59,000 square feet. The $24 million Campaign of Courage is ongoing.

More than 22 partner agencies housed in the center enable services to be delivered within days rather than weeks. McGraw said each partnership is structured based on the specific services provided and the agency’s operational needs. “The space and resources provided are tailored to the role each partner agency plays within the center and the services they provide to survivors,” she said.

WCF has helped victims from every county in the state. McGraw said all victims from across Arkansas and the nation are welcome.

Valerie Williams, who grew up in domestic violence in Texas and “lived in fear every day” until her mother escaped to Little Rock with her two siblings, is chair of Voices of Hope Arkansas. According to wcfarkansas.org, the Voices Survivor Advocacy Network is a program of Alliance for Hope International, a nationwide network of domestic and sexual violence survivors who advocate for abuse victims in crisis, educate the public and support Family Justice Centers and Family Peace Centers across the country.

“We have the lived experience and have walked through the pain and suffering in the belief that there was a better option for women in Arkansas,” Williams told the crowd gathered for the ribbon cutting. “Every survivor deserves dignity. When survivors lead, the community grows stronger.”

Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. called the project “a true model of coordinated services” between municipal and community partners.

McGraw said this model could help reduce homicides. In Little Rock in 2025, there were 44 domestic violence homicides. “When survivors are supported, these stories don’t have to end that way,” she said. “They end in survival. We’re opening not just a building, but access, safety and a door for survival.”

Lonny Bumpous of Conway, superintendent of the approximately 15-month building project for Nabholz Construction, said he wouldn’t have missed the ribbon-cutting.

“What I like about my job is seeing everybody’s dreams come to fruition,” he said. “During construction, their dreams become mine.”

This is one dream everyone can share.

For more information, visit wcfarkansas.org. Those in crisis can call the hotline at 501.376.3219 or 1.800.332.4443. The Family Peace Center is located at 9009 Dailey Drive in Little Rock.

Donna Stephens
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