Celebrating 40 Years

A Milestone Anniversary for Mosaic Georgia: 2026 Marks 40 Years Providing a Safe Haven for Survivors of Sexual Violence

In 1986 a small office in a suburban home marked a quiet beginning for Gwinnett’s first rape crisis center. It began with two women — a young doctor and a hospital volunteer named Ann Smiley — and a need they refused to ignore: victims looking for a shoulder to cry on after a traumatic sexual assault, someone to help make a phone call, alternate clothing for patients who had completed a forensic exam. Small dignities. Founder Ann Smiley rallied local leaders, Gwinnett Hospital, law enforcement, and media to build a community network where none existed.

That network grew.

Today in 2026, Mosaic Georgia celebrates 40 years supporting survivors in the Gwinnett and metro Atlanta area.

Over the past four decades, Mosaic has blossomed into a trusted multi-service Sexual Assault and Children’s Advocacy Center serving 3,000 children, teens, and adults annually who are impacted by sexual violence, exploitation, trafficking, and child sexual abuse. The center offers medical forensic exams, victim and family advocacy, forensic interviews, professional medical and prevention training, civil legal services, counseling, support groups, and holistic healing programming to clients ranging from infants to seniors.

Mosaic Georgia now operates under one roof from a 16,000 square foot Lawrenceville building, complete with multiple medical exam rooms, a dedicated space for wellness classes, workshops and trainings, a children’s play therapy area, and quiet/family support rooms. The new space has doubled the capacity to provide immediate care and long-term support — entirely free of charge — with the potential to increase services offered. Gwinnett County is projected to add 600,000 residents by 2050.

Mosaic Georgia is growing with Gwinnett.

Creating a thriving, multi-faceted center did not just happen inevitably. It was a labor of love, perseverance, and ingenuity even in the most trying times. Former Executive Director Marina Sampanes Peed reflects: 

“There were many occasions when Mosaic’s future was uncertain. But at each of those moments, the persistent determination of a few attracted resources. The City of Duluth provided us a physical home for fifteen years. Gwinnett County stepped up to ensure all victims could receive care. Foundations came through just in time. And now Northside Hospital System has made our current center in Lawrenceville possible. And through all of it, countless volunteers have answered the crisis line at midnight, accompanied victims in the middle of the night, taught restorative practices in our Wholeness Collective, filled our clothing closet, stocked our snack corner, donated blankets for our care kits, and rallied their networks to help raise funds. A thousand actions, small and large. The mission held because the community chose to hold it with us.”

During this 40-year mark Mosaic reflects on humble beginnings, significant milestones throughout the years, present-day success, and a legacy still being written. Executive Director Lindsay Woon Ferreira looks to the future with hope and anticipation. “Forty years in, I’ve learned that this work requires resilience above all else. The landscape will change. But my deepest hope for Mosaic is that we never let uncertainty cause us to drift from who we are. We stay rooted in this community, we build the kind of resilience that outlasts any single season of uncertainty, and we keep pushing- into education, into training, into whatever the next chapter asks of us. The mission doesn’t pause. Neither do we.”

To mark this milestone, we’re hosting a reimagined Mosaic Masterpieces 2026  Sunday brunch experience on October 4th at 550 Trackside in Lawrenceville, featuring speaker and survivor C. David Moody. We’d love for you to be there.