Soiree Magazine Features New Forest of Hope Peace Center
WER Architects has been honored to work closely with Women & Children First over the last two years on the design of the new Forest of Hope Family Peace Center. With their largest fundraiser of the year just around the corner, and the opening of the center coming this spring, we are thrilled to share more about the project and this amazing organization in the following article in Soiree Magazine.
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Since breaking ground in October 2024, Women & Children First’s long-awaited Forest of Hope Family Peace Center is well on its way to a March 2026 grand opening.
According to WCF CEO Angela McGraw, shared passion and mission have kept the complex project on schedule. She notes experiencing numerous “pinch me” moments as she walks the expansive property, which spans more than 53,000 square feet and requires about an hour to explore.
“Collaboration has definitely been the key in all of this,” McGraw says. “I like to say that our center is run by our community because it’s our community that has developed it and bought in.”
McGraw and WCF staff have consistently sought input from domestic abuse survivors, who they call “voices,” to keep clients at the center of their ideas and designs.
One thing the voices all agreed on: the name and atmosphere of the center.
Casey Gwinn, the pioneer of the Family Justice Center concept, had visited the site in southwest Little Rock and commented, “This is just a forest of hope out here.”
“The voices grabbed that phrase and they weren’t letting it go,” McGraw says. “So it became the Forest of Hope Peace Center.”
The forest concept made its way inside the center as well, with light greens and other warm colors creating a comforting “nest” for clients. Using natural textures and materials in design helps create a calming environment for people experiencing trauma by bringing elements of the outdoors inside.
Aesthetics aside, the real source of calm for clients is only having to share their story one time.
The mission statement of the Forest of Hope Family Peace Center is straightforward: “to unite agencies dedicated to ending family violence, child abuse, sexual assault and human trafficking through prevention and coordinated response by providing comprehensive, client-centered empowering services in a single location.”
If this model did not exist, clients would need to visit 22 separate places — including six individual spots within the courthouse — to get all the help needed to start over and obtain an order of protection.
Even Child Protective Services and UAMS have joined forces with the center to create the “Willow Wing,” allowing clients to receive forensic screenings and medical treatment while they are on site.
McGraw points out the transparent, enclosed play areas in the center to reduce children’s chances of hearing about violence. It also allows parents to complete paperwork and interviews while keeping an eye on their kids. There are dedicated spaces for pets since, according to McGraw, not wanting to leave pets is the fourth most common reason individuals do not leave domestic violence situations.
The center provides a thoughtfully designed shelter, onsite child care, a “Dress for Success” clothing closet and a volunteer-operated hair salon, all designed to support and empower clients during challenging periods.
“This center is going to give people who have been abused more dignity,” McGraw says. “It’s going to provide them a way to get help, but also to become part of a community that wraps around them.”
Learn more at wcfarkansas.org
One of WCF’s biggest fundraisers making its programs possible is the Woman of the Year Gala, which will mark its 20th anniversary on Jan. 31 and honor Jessica Sorg as the WCF Peacekeeper of the Year. We caught up with the longtime volunteer to learn more.
How did you first get involved as a Peacekeeper? What drew you to this organization and its mission?
In late 2010, a coworker of mine said she was helping with a purse drive and meeting with a group called the Peacekeepers at Cantina Laredo to discuss helping with a shelter. I went, too, and within five minutes… I knew this was something I wanted to get behind and help grow. As I sat there crying and listening to stories of abuse, I knew I wanted to help put a stop to domestic violence.
Is there a particular program within WCF that is especially meaningful to you?
I love helping with the guests’ children in any capacity. Being a mom myself and knowing how hard it is from day to day, any joy I see on a child’s face lets me know we are helping and making changes in their lives.
How will the new facility allow WCF to operate better, and what excites you most about the space?
We will have all the resources a client needs to start making a new life under one roof. Before this, clients had to retell one of the most horrific moments of their life to more than nine strangers just to get the documents and help they needed. Also, it will be so wonderful for our guests to have something new to rebuild their lives in.
What do you want the community to know about WCF and what they can do to help?
It will take a community to stop domestic violence and a concerted effort to quit expecting victims to live in the shadows because it makes those around them uncomfortable to think about friends and neighbors being abused. Also, absolutely everyone has something to give. You may be great at asking for money, party planning, cleaning, listening, organizing events, yoga, grocery shopping — all the things we take for granted. Someone needs those things. I strongly encourage our community to reach out and see what needs you could meet.