Peoria Home

Founded by Paula Newman-Skomski, Nurse Practitioner and Forensic RN, Peoria Home is a two-year residential recovery program for women who have survived sex trafficking and prostitution. The residential home offers, in partnership with other local agencies, a full spectrum of individualized services to help women rebuild their lives and move to independent, successful living. Services include drug and alcohol treatment, counseling, medical and dental care, education, life skills and job training. The program will include a social enterprise, yet to be determined, that will offer an opportunity for women to learn needed job skills while providing support to the program. We welcomed our first group of residents in February 2018. We stand in solidarity with organizations and women who are recovering from sexual abuse, violence, addiction and life on the streets. We believe that Peoria Home will be the beginning of the journey to freedom for women enslaved, exploited and traumatized by sex trafficking and prostitution. In the past 3 years, Peoria Home has engaged in numerous successful outreach and fundraising activities. We have acquired office space and in the process of establishing partnerships with like-minded, potential service providers, including trauma and addiction counselors. We've held quarterly volunteer training events and have a strong core of volunteers who are passionate about helping these women. We have started a confidential resource center and weekly support group for women who are in the life; or, have left the life of prostitution. Peoria Home is modeled after the highly successful Thistle Farms/Magdalene program in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1997 by Becca Stevens, an Episcopal minister, the program has grown from one house with four women to six houses with thirty women. Eighty four percent of their graduates go on to live productive and independent lives, an amazing success rate. For more information please go to thistlefarms.org