FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Families stuck in violent homes are getting a new lease on life. Peace at Home Family Shelter helped more than a thousand people escape domestic violence last year.

When people shop at the Peace at Home Thrift Store, the money goes to an important cause.

“Peace at Home Family Shelter is an emergency shelter and service organization supporting survivors of domestic violence and their children,” Peace at Home Family Shelter Development Director Eva Terry said.

It is not just the shelter. People can get legal help, counseling, and housing assistance.

“When you don’t have those social supports, you can feel trapped,” Terry said.

Their clients could be trapped in a violent, dangerous situation.

“For anyone, it would be difficult to get up and leave one day and try to start your life over and those barriers are compounded even more when it’s domestic violence,” Terry said.

This thrift store is more than just a way to raise money.

“In addition to that, our clients staying at the shelter get vouchers so that they can come and shop here for free,” Marketing and Communications Coordinator Bethany Clark said.

So the thrift store plays an important part in their recovery.

“We want to empower the survivors as much as possible to make their own decisions for their own lives. By us giving these vouchers to them, they’re able to take control and shop for themselves,” Clark said.

There are a number of ways to volunteer with Peace at Home, from providing child care to talking to people through a crisis chat line online. To learn more, click here.