Mission & History

Our Mission

SVS is a survivor-centered organization where individuals impacted by domestic abuse and sexual violence can realize their own strength, courage, and resilience while on their path to an empowered future.

SVS will provide:

• survivors with free and confidential services including emergency shelter, safe housing, trauma-informed counseling, advocacy, and tools for life.
• education aimed at ending the cycle of generational violence.
• opportunities for communities to be part of the solution for a better tomorrow.

Our Vision

To foster an environment where everyone is safe, respected, and acknowledged in the home, at work, and in the community.

Our History

South Valley Sanctuary has served the Salt Lake County community since 1998.

SVS began as a grassroots effort in response to a growing need in our community. A group of professionals, community leaders, and citizens recognized that survivors of domestic violence were facing tremendous difficulty finding safe and accessible services. They concluded that a domestic violence shelter was of vital interest to the health and well-being of our community.  As the result of a monumental community effort, South Valley Sanctuary opened on February 10, 1998, intending to provide a safe shelter, resource and referral services, and self-sufficiency programs for survivors of domestic violence. In 2023, SVS expanded its services to Tooele County. Taking on its Pathways Sanctuary, and later that year, opening an Advocacy Center. More growth came in 2026 when SVS expanded its services to Carbon and Emery Counties, opening Colleen’s Sanctuary, marking a significant milestone in its mission to support survivors and families across a broader region. Programs at SVS have developed to keep up with current research and best practices. Based on this research, SVS operates under a coordinated community response model, which includes shelter and supportive services.