By Marina Sampanes Peed
Executive Director of Mosaic Georgia

Mosaic Georgia had outgrown our facilities, our systems were straining under the weight of growing demand, and we were navigating an increasingly unstable funding environment for victim services. Our clients—survivors of sexual assault, child abuse, and sexual exploitation—never stopped showing up. So neither did we. 

Fast-forward to today: We’re now settled into our new home in Lawrenceville, thanks to a transformative partnership with Northside Hospital. But this isn’t just a bigger building. It’s a bold investment in people and community. 

This represents more than a physical upgrade. It reflects decades of work—and thousands of survivor stories—woven into the fabric of Gwinnett County. 

Our roots go back to Ann Smiley, who founded Gwinnett Rape Crisis in a ranch-style house in Duluth and made it the first center in Georgia to provide medical forensic exams outside of emergency rooms. That bold step launched a trajectory of innovation and compassion. Under longtime Executive Director Ann Burdges, we expanded to serve children and introduced civil legal aid as a core service—another Georgia first. 

Today, Mosaic Georgia offers a full continuum of trauma-informed care: 24/7 crisis response, pediatric and adult medical forensic exams, child forensic interviews, counseling, legal assistance, and healing programs. Whether someone lives in an outside encampment, an extended stay motel, or a gated community—we serve them all. And we do so with confidentiality, dignity, urgency, and care. 

Our new space was designed with that purpose at its core. It says to every child, teen, and adult who enters:
  

We see you. You are not alone. And you deserve to feel safe.
 

Thanks to your support—and Northside Hospital—we now have a center that can handle the depth of care we provide. One-third larger than our previous location, it brings together every essential service. Fewer delays. More dignity. Better care. 

But space alone doesn’t create healing. People do. 

As we reach the midpoint of 2025, I’m filled with gratitude—for those who bring this work to life and those who trust us with their healing. From the child who whispers, “You’re nice. Can I come back?,” to the nurse who works through lunch to finish documentation, to the donor whose quiet generosity powers our mission—every person makes a difference. 

Being in Lawrenceville, at the heart of Gwinnett County, is more than geographic. It reflects who we are: a community where diverse voices come together, where partnerships thrive, and where progress is built, together. 

To our extraordinary partners: 

• Northside Hospital—for believing in this vision and making room for it. 

• Core Investors in this dream—the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council; Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners; foundations like Fraser-Parker, James M. Cox, and Tull; corporations like Gas South and Primerica; and those who give as Anonymous—thank you for laying the groundwork to get us here. 

• Donors and board members—your support of what happens inside the walls is what keeps us strong. 

• Our Mosaic of institutional partners—law enforcement, prosecutors, DFCS, GCPS, the courts—you are not just collaborators; you are part of this healing ecosystem. 

• To our staff, volunteers, and advocates—you make this dream real with your love, labor, and fierce dedication. 

This new space is a promise kept. But the future of this work—its reach, its quality, its sustainability—is not guaranteed. 

Policy shifts and funding gaps threaten the very programs that protect victims and hold offenders accountable. The systems we’ve built are strong, but they’re not immune to political agendas or budget cuts. That’s why we need you.
 

This summer and fall, help us keep the momentum going. Give if you can. Share our message. Speak up for policies that protect, not punish, survivors. And model consent, respect, and care in your own homes and communities. 

If you’ve already joined us on this journey—thank you. If not, now is the perfect time. 

Because what a difference a year makes—when people choose to care, to act, and protect. 

Here’s to more light, more love, and more healing in the months ahead.