A police station may be where a victim-survivor first reaches safety. It shouldn’t be another place that feels frightening.
That idea is at the heart of Stephanie’s Sanctuary, an initiative of the Stephanie Nicole Parze Foundation that transforms traditional police interview rooms into comfortable, welcoming spaces where victim-survivors can meet with law enforcement and advocates during a crisis.
Younity is partnering with the Stephanie Nicole Parze Foundation and local law enforcement to help expand these spaces across Mercer County, bringing together organizations with a shared commitment to supporting victim-survivors when they reach out for help.
The Foundation was created by Ed and Sharlene Parze in memory of their daughter, Stephanie, a vibrant 25-year-old from Freehold whose life was taken by an abusive former partner in 2019. Stephanie had experienced domestic violence before her disappearance. For 87 days, her family and community searched and waited for answers before her body was found in January 2020.
In the aftermath of an unimaginable loss, Ed and Sharlene created the Stephanie Nicole Parze Foundation, determined to turn their grief into action for others experiencing domestic and sexual violence. Stephanie’s Sanctuary is one part of that mission.
Each Sanctuary replaces the stark, institutional environment someone may encounter at a police station with a space intentionally designed to feel safe, private, and reassuring. Comfortable furniture, soft lighting, artwork, and other thoughtful touches create a more home-like setting. The rooms are also stocked with practical essentials, including water, snacks, clothing, phone chargers, informational resources, and items for children. The Foundation renovates, furnishes, stocks, and maintains the spaces at no cost to participating agencies.
The program began in Stephanie’s home community, with the Freehold Township Police Department becoming the first municipality to embrace and pilot the initiative. Since then, Stephanie’s Sanctuaries have opened in communities across New Jersey, with the Foundation working toward a larger vision of creating these spaces throughout the state and beyond.
Growing Across Mercer County
Now, that vision is growing across Mercer County.
The first Mercer County Stephanie’s Sanctuary opened at the Trenton Police Department on July 22. Even before the ribbon was cut, the room had already been put into use. At the unveiling, Younity’s Director of Crisis Response and Outreach, Varonda Kendrick, shared that a Younity advocate had already met there with a victim-survivor and her baby, who felt warm and welcomed in the new space.
“I’m so grateful for the partnerships between the Stephanie Nicole Parze Foundation, Trenton PD, and Younity,” Varonda said. “This is what community looks like.”
Bringing a Stephanie’s Sanctuary to a community takes exactly that kind of partnership. The Foundation brings its vision, resources, and commitment to Stephanie’s legacy. Local police departments provide the space and a commitment to creating a more supportive environment. Younity’s volunteer advocates help put those rooms into practice, meeting victim-survivors there during crisis response.
“Community is more than where we provide services. It is the relationships we build and the ways we show up for one another,” said Nathalie S. Nelson, Younity CEO & President. “When Younity, the Stephanie Nicole Parze Foundation, and our law enforcement partners come together, we each bring something different to the table. Together, we can create a stronger, more compassionate response for victim-survivors across Mercer County.”
Now the partnership is expanding. A second Mercer County Sanctuary at the Ewing Police Department will be unveiled this month, with a Sanctuary at Robbinsville Township’s new police headquarters planned next. The goal is to continue building that momentum, bringing these supportive spaces to police departments throughout Mercer County.
A Space That Changes the Experience
For Maureen Spataro, Stephanie’s Sanctuaries Project Manager, the mission is also deeply personal. A survivor herself, Maureen knows what it is like to seek help and not feel safe or supported by the environment around her. “Putting these rooms together with Ed has been very cathartic for me as a survivor,” Maureen said. “I believe that had a place like this existed when I really needed it, I would have been able to go in there and probably leave and not go back five more times.”
While helping prepare the Ewing room, Stephanie’s father, Ed, spoke with Varonda about why these spaces matter. Traditional police-station environments, he explained, can feel uninviting and authoritative to someone already experiencing fear and trauma.
“When they come into these sanctuaries, they come into a comfortable, more home setting where they can relax, de-escalate,” Ed said. That change, he explained, can make it easier for victim-survivors, advocates, and police officers to talk and move forward together.
For someone arriving with children, seemingly small things can matter: a comfortable place to sit, something to eat or drink, a toy or coloring book, and a private space where a family can begin to feel safe. The Foundation’s materials specifically identify those practical comforts as part of the Sanctuary model.
For Ed and Sharlene, every new Sanctuary carries Stephanie’s name into another community. Nothing can change what happened to their daughter. But a room created in her memory can change what happens when the next victim-survivor walks through the doors of a police station frightened, overwhelmed, and asking for help.
With Trenton complete, Ewing opening next, and Robbinsville ahead, Younity and the Stephanie Nicole Parze Foundation are working toward a larger goal: bringing welcoming, supportive spaces for victim-survivors to police departments throughout Mercer County.
One room at a time, Stephanie’s legacy is creating safer places to ask for help.
