Center for Domestic Peace

Center for Domestic Peace C4DP mobilizes individuals & communities to transform our world so DV no longer exists.

Center for Domestic Peace was founded in 1977 by a group of visionary women operating under the name Marin Abused Womenโ€™s Services (MAWS). Since then, we have helped thousands of women, children, and men to end the violence and to achieve safe, productive lives. MAWS started as a volunteer effort with women being sent to private homes for safety. Over the years, we have grown to provide a wide arr

ay of services, which include:

- 24/7 English & Spanish & Youth hotlines
- Safety planning
- Emergency shelter
-Transitional housing
-Drop-in support groups
- Domestic violence response teams
- Information and referrals
-Advocacy, court accompaniment, and referrals
-Group therapy for survivor parents and their children
-Classes and training for men and women to learn how to stop their violence
- Community education and prevention programs for youth and adults
- Technical assistance and training for local, state, and national groups
- Policy development

To better reflect the wide range of our current and future work, in October 2010 we adopted a new name โ€“ Center for Domestic Peace โ€“ where MAWS continues to find its home. Center for Domestic Peace has accomplished amazing things since 1977 and is known as a leader in the field of domestic violence prevention.

๐’๐ญ๐š๐ซ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐œ๐จ๐ง๐ฏ๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง. ๐๐ž ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐๐ข๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ž๐ซ๐ž๐ง๐œ๐ž.Silence can be one of the most dangerous forces in someone's life, whether the...
09/01/2026

๐’๐ญ๐š๐ซ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐œ๐จ๐ง๐ฏ๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง. ๐๐ž ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐๐ข๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ž๐ซ๐ž๐ง๐œ๐ž.

Silence can be one of the most dangerous forces in someone's life, whether they are facing a mental health crisis or living with domestic violence. Both thrive in isolation. Both convince a person that no one would understand, or that reaching out would make things worse.

That is why our advocates work alongside survivors early, before things reach a crisis point. Safety planning, confidential support, and connection to resources replace silence with something survivors can actually lean on, long before a situation becomes life-threatening.

You don't need the perfect words to start a conversation with someone you're worried about. You just need to ask, listen, and believe them.

๐˜๐จ๐ฎ ๐š๐ซ๐ž ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐š๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ž, ๐š๐ง๐ ๐ก๐ž๐ฅ๐ฉ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐š๐ฏ๐š๐ข๐ฅ๐š๐›๐ฅ๐ž. ๐‚๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ’/๐Ÿ• ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ž ๐š๐ญ ๐Ÿ’๐Ÿ๐Ÿ“-๐Ÿ—๐Ÿ๐Ÿ’-๐Ÿ”๐Ÿ”๐Ÿ๐Ÿ” ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ ๐œ๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ž๐ซ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐œ๐ฉ๐ž๐š๐œ๐ž.๐จ๐ซ๐ . ๐ˆ๐Ÿ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐ž๐จ๐ง๐ž ๐ž๐ฅ๐ฌ๐ž ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐œ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ, ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐œ๐š๐ง ๐š๐ฅ๐ฌ๐จ ๐œ๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ž๐ฑ๐ญ ๐Ÿ—๐Ÿ–๐Ÿ–, ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐’๐ฎ๐ข๐œ๐ข๐๐ž & ๐‚๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ ๐‹๐ข๐Ÿ๐ž๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ž.

08/27/2026

๐‚๐Ÿ’๐ƒ๐ ๐’๐ญ๐š๐Ÿ๐Ÿ ๐’๐จ๐œ๐ข๐š๐ฅ!

Our Center for Domestic Peace team had such a great time together bowling at the AMF Petaluma Lanes! We enjoyed an afternoon of fun, laughter, spirited competition, and great food. It was rejuvenating to take a break, connect with colleagues, and celebrate the amazing team behind the work we do every day.

๐‡๐ž๐ซ๐žโ€™๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ž๐š๐ฆ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค, ๐Ÿ๐ซ๐ข๐ž๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ, ๐š๐ง๐ ๐š ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ž ๐Ÿ๐ฎ๐ง ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ž ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐จ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ข๐œ๐ž!

๐–๐จ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง'๐ฌ ๐„๐ช๐ฎ๐š๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ƒ๐š๐ฒ, observed each August 26, marks the anniversary of the 19th Amendment's certification in 1920, the ...
08/26/2026

๐–๐จ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง'๐ฌ ๐„๐ช๐ฎ๐š๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ƒ๐š๐ฒ, observed each August 26, marks the anniversary of the 19th Amendment's certification in 1920, the day women's right to vote became law. It is also a reminder that equality has never been a single achievement, it is ongoing work, carried forward by generations who continue to expand what safety, autonomy, and full participation in society actually mean.

The vote gave women a voice in public life, but equality was never meant to stop at the ballot box. For too many survivors, the place where freedom is hardest to find is the most private one, inside their own home, their own relationship. Closing that gap is what our work is built around, from the shelter that gives someone a safe place to land, to the advocate who walks with her into a courtroom, to the support group where she is finally believed. A hundred years after women secured the right to shape public life, we are still building the conditions that let every survivor shape her own.

๐„๐ช๐ฎ๐š๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐š๐ง ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐œ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ, ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐–๐จ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง'๐ฌ ๐„๐ช๐ฎ๐š๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ƒ๐š๐ฒ, ๐ญ๐š๐ค๐ž ๐š๐œ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง!

Learn the signs of abuse, support survivor-centered services, advocate for safer communities, and help ensure that every individual has the opportunity to live free from violence. Join us in turning awareness into action by supporting Center for Domestic Peace and the work of building safety, dignity, and equality for all. ๐Ÿ’œ

08/26/2026

Trauma can explain someoneโ€™s struggles. Mental illness can explain symptoms. A difficult childhood can leave scars. But none of them gives someone permission to control, terrorize, or hurt another person.

**What excuse were you told to make for their abuse?**

๐Ÿ’œ Purple Ribbon Awards Honor Community LeadershipOn October 6, Center for Domestic Peace will present its Second Annual ...
08/25/2026

๐Ÿ’œ Purple Ribbon Awards Honor Community Leadership

On October 6, Center for Domestic Peace will present its Second Annual Purple Ribbon Awards as part of our Domestic Violence Awareness Month event, honoring individuals and organizations whose leadership, partnership, and dedication are helping strengthen prevention, safety, and support for survivors.

Please join us in celebrating our 2026 Purple Ribbon Award recipients:

๐Ÿ’œ Champion for Change / Prevention Leadership Award
Jon Deras, Community Education Supervisor, Canal Alliance

๐Ÿ’œ CCR Partner Award
Haley Mears, Child and Family Services (CFS)

๐Ÿ’œ Law Enforcement Partnership Award
Lieutenant Ronda Cordero, San Rafael Police Department

๐Ÿ’œ Community Impact Award
Kaiser Permanente

These honorees represent the power of collaboration, leadership, and community action in creating meaningful change and building a safer Marin County.

As Center for Domestic Peace prepares to celebrate 50 years of serving Marin County, we invite you to join us for an evening of education, inspiration, recognition, and action. And a special thank you to our partner, College of Marin, for hosting us!

๐Ÿ“… Monday, October 6, 2026
๐Ÿ•• 6:00โ€“8:00 p.m.
๐Ÿ“ College of Marin, Kentfield Campus
๐Ÿ’œ 2nd Annual Panel Discussion & Purple Ribbon Awards

Stay tuned for registration informationโ€”and join us as we recognize the people and organizations helping create a future free from domestic violence.

Interested in supporting and sponsoring our event? Join our growing list of supporters! Contact Marla Hedlund [email protected] to learn how!

Community Partner: Marin County District Attorney, Paula Kamena
Event Sponsor: San Rafael Police Department, Soroptimist International of Novato
Community Supporter: Samantha Tradelius

Center for Domestic Peace was honored to join Dominican University's New Student Orientation and present to the incoming...
08/22/2026

Center for Domestic Peace was honored to join Dominican University's New Student Orientation and present to the incoming students on healthy relationships, consent, and creating a culture of respect and safety.

Starting these conversations early helps empower students to build healthy connections, recognize boundaries, and support one another throughout their college experience.

Thank you to Dominican University of California and the student orientation leaders for partnering with us to invest in student well-being and prevention education.

Today is ๐๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐š๐ฅ ๐’๐ž๐ง๐ข๐จ๐ซ ๐‚๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ณ๐ž๐ง๐ฌ ๐ƒ๐š๐ฒ, a day to honor the wisdom, resilience, and contributions older adults bring to ou...
08/21/2026

Today is ๐๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐š๐ฅ ๐’๐ž๐ง๐ข๐จ๐ซ ๐‚๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ณ๐ž๐ง๐ฌ ๐ƒ๐š๐ฒ, a day to honor the wisdom, resilience, and contributions older adults bring to our communities.

Domestic violence doesn't notice age, and neither do we. Abuse in later life can look like neglect, isolation, or financial exploitation, often carried out by a spouse, partner, family member, or caregiver, someone the survivor knows and trusts. It frequently goes unreported, which means the true scope of what older adults are experiencing is likely far greater than what we see. With nearly 57,000 people over the age of 65 living in Marin County, this is a reality close to home.

At Center for Domestic Peace, we approach abuse in later life the same way we approach every form of abuse we address, with a survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and intersectional lens. Every survivor deserves to be believed, to retain their independence, and to access support that honors their dignity at every stage of life.

This Senior Citizens Day, consider checking in with an older person in your life, not just to celebrate them, but to let them know they have someone to talk to if something ever feels wrong. A conversation rooted in care can open a door that might otherwise stay closed.

If you or someone you love may be experiencing abuse, our 24/7 bilingual hotline is available at 415-924-6616.

August is Black Business Month, a time to recognize the vision, resilience, and care that Black entrepreneurs bring to o...
08/19/2026

August is Black Business Month, a time to recognize the vision, resilience, and care that Black entrepreneurs bring to our communities. That same spirit, care rooted in community, is something we hold close in our work at Center for Domestic Peace.

Supporting survivors of domestic violence means recognizing that safety and wellbeing are connected to the health of the whole community. When local businesses thrive, they create spaces of connection, culture, and belonging, the same things that help survivors rebuild their sense of self and community after experiencing harm. Businesses owned by and rooted in Black communities carry legacy, resilience, and care into every space they touch, values that mirror the survivor-centered work we strive to uphold every day.

This month we want to lift up a few of the Black-owned businesses in our community, including Fully'z-VeSoul Cafe, Sweet Tey Pastries, and Salon B, among the many others whose work strengthens Marin.

Supporting Black-owned businesses is one meaningful way to invest in the fabric of community connection, the same fabric that helps survivors find safety, support, and belonging.

If you or someone you know needs support, our 24/7 line is available at 415-924-6616.

Today is ๐๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐š๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐Ÿ๐ข๐ญ ๐ƒ๐š๐ฒ, a day to recognize the organizations that show up for their communities in ways that go...
08/17/2026

Today is ๐๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐š๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐Ÿ๐ข๐ญ ๐ƒ๐š๐ฒ, a day to recognize the organizations that show up for their communities in ways that government and for-profit systems often don't. For survivors of domestic violence, that community support can be the difference between isolation and safety.

Domestic violence does not exist in isolation, and neither does the support survivors deserve. Safety often depends on housing, healthcare, immigration status, language access, and community trust, which is why no single organization can meet every need alone.

At Center for Domestic Peace, our work is strengthened by partnership with many organizations across Marin County and beyond, including ๐‚๐š๐ง๐š๐ฅ ๐€๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐š๐ง๐œ๐ž, ๐‘๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ž๐ซ ๐‚๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ž๐ซ, ๐š๐ง๐ ๐‚๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐•๐ข๐จ๐ฅ๐ž๐ง๐œ๐ž ๐’๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ, among the many others we are grateful to work alongside. Together, we build a wider net of support so survivors can access what they need without having to tell their story over and over or navigate systems by themselves. Collaboration means a survivor seeking safety can also find help with immigration questions, healthcare, or housing stability, because these needs are connected, and so is the support that meets them.

Nonprofits exist because communities deserve care that centers dignity and choice. On National Nonprofit Day, we honor every organization in our community doing this work, and every survivor who trusts us to walk alongside them.

If you or someone you know needs support, our 24/7 line is available at 415-924-6616.

๐‘ฉ๐’‚๐’„๐’Œ ๐’•๐’ ๐’”๐’„๐’‰๐’๐’๐’ brings new backpacks, new teachers, and for many families, a sense of excitement about the year ahead. Fo...
08/13/2026

๐‘ฉ๐’‚๐’„๐’Œ ๐’•๐’ ๐’”๐’„๐’‰๐’๐’๐’ brings new backpacks, new teachers, and for many families, a sense of excitement about the year ahead. For a parent navigating intimate partner violence, this season can also bring a different kind of weight: new schedules to manage, new people to loop in, and new questions about safety.

Support is available, and it starts with connection. An advocate can help build a safety plan that accounts for the realities of the school year, from how to communicate with school staff, to what to do if a custody agreement needs a closer look. Advocates can also help identify community resources for school supplies, medical care, and other everyday needs, because financial pressure shouldn't be the reason a survivor feels stuck.

Every family deserves to walk into this season feeling supported, not just prepared. If you or someone you know could use a safety plan for the transition ahead, our 24/7 support line is here: 415-924-6616.

This guidance draws on the ๐‘ฎ๐’†๐’• ๐‘น๐’†๐’‚๐’…๐’š: A Toolkit to Get Back-to-School Safely, developed by the Battered Women's Justice Project. Read the full toolkit here:https://bwjp.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Back-to-School.pdf

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734 A Street
San Rafael, CA
94901

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Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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