Women's organization finds Dade City home

Women's Peacepower Foundation, a group helping abused women, buys a house for its headquarters. Organizers hope to rent out some of the space.

By CHASE SQUIRES

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 27, 2000

DADE CITY -- The international movement Women's Peacepower Foundation made a strong commitment to staying in downtown Dade City this month with the purchase of its first independent headquarters building.

Peacepower president Candice Slaughter Warmke unveiled the organization's new home Tuesday at 38047 Pasco Ave., across from the Dade City Police Department.

The new headquarters is in a 1920s-era, single-story home that the organization slowly is remodeling with donations and help from the community and supporters.

Inside, the office is airy and open with plenty of windows. It's a big difference from the group's first office, a 450-square-foot room at the city's restored train depot. That office, also an important step as the group moved from Warmke's Blanton home, was subsidized in part by the city, which gave the group a break on the rent, she said.

Having its own building establishes Women's Peacepower in Dade City and shows the group is committed to staying there, even though its mission reaches around the globe.

"The world is not as big a place as we think it is," Warmke said. "If you have access to a modem and a fax machine, you can work anywhere. We all have families here; we feel this a good place to be. It's our home."

Warmke shares the new office with the foundation's Internet site developer Linda Gilliard and development director Diane McCabe.

The three work in spartan surroundings, but already they've begun adding homey touches with pictures of family decorating their desks. With the help of donors and volunteers, the group hopes to create office space they can lease on a daily basis to professionals who need a temporary office in Dade City. Warmke also hopes to add conference space.

Among its many missions to aid abused women, Warmke said, Peacepower tries to act as a catalyst to jump start new programs and recognize achievement.

Activities range from financial planning seminars to international outreach programs from the South Pacific to Russia, Ireland and Central America.

"There are a lot of people out there who recognize the world can be a better place, but they don't know how to get that message out," Warmke said.

Through their programs and by spreading the money and information they gather, Peacepower workers and a cadre of volunteers try to reward and encourage good new ideas and help anti-violence programs reach their full potential, Warmke said.

The organization's Internet site calls the group "a vehicle to help in the tireless effort to bring peace to our homes, our schools, our streets and to our world."

Warmke said the Peacepower organization is always looking for volunteers and donors who can lend expertise, materials or money.

In addition to funding, the group needs skilled workers to help upgrade the roofing and insulation of the new headquarters and donors who can provide a conference table, office equipment and fixtures.

- The Women's Peacepower Foundation can be found on the Internet at http://www.peacepower.org.

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