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Purple Ribbon Awards

September 7, 2021By

We’ve received national Purple Ribbon Awards for Best Shelter (Agency), Most Innovative Program (Farm), and Best Annual/Impact Report (Bloom)!

The Purple Ribbon Awards are new this year! DomesticShelters.org, Theresa’s Fund, and experts in the field came together to launch the first awards program honoring survivors, nonprofits, and advocates working to end intimate partner violence.  

We are winners in three categories! The Purple Ribbon Awards Celebration is on September 15th at 6:30pm. Grants totaling up to $30,000 will be made to select winners. The link to register is below! 

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Register for The Purple Ribbon Awards Celebration

If you register before September 12th, you're entered for a chance to win a $250 Amazon gift card. (Must be present to win)

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Visit our table at DV8 Kitchen!

September 1, 2021By

DV8 Kitchen’s new location is now open and you can eat at the GreenHouse17 table!  

In February, DV8 Kitchen invited 14 nonprofit organizations in the recovery community to paint a table for their new location in Lexington’s East End – 594 E Third St #100. 

Kristin Carpenter, a local artist and member of our staff, painted ours! Her original painting illustrates the benefits of nature-based healing. Lots of sunshine and water nourish flowers and vegetables to grow strong and stand tall in the fields. Our 24-hour hotline in the bottom right corner of the table will help survivors to connect with supportive services. 

DV8 Kitchen is a local restaurant & bakery that employs people in recovery from substance use disorder who are trying to redirect their lives. Their original location on South Broadway has thrived since opening in August 2017.  

The work of DV8 Kitchen is especially important to our mission. Many survivors struggle with substance use while healing from intimate partner abuse. A strong and supportive community is crucial for those on the path to healing and sobriety. 

If you eat at our table, please tag us on social media so we can share it!

Click the link to follow DV8 Kitchen on Facebook!

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What We Know About Strangulation

August 25, 2021By

Many people will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime, and of those, up to 68 percent will suffer near-fatal strangulation by their abuser.

In a recent conversation with legal advocate Stephanie Love, I asked what trends she has noticed over the years in the court system. She talked about strangulation and how it has only been considered a felony since summer 2019 in Kentucky. 

ZeroV, The Mary Byron Project, Lou Anna Red Corn, and many others worked hard to advocate for Senate Bill 70 to be passed and make strangulation a felony in Kentucky. 

Up to 68 percent of intimate partner abuse victims will suffer near-fatal strangulation by their abuser. Some people mistakenly use the word ‘choking,’ but this is a crime meant to stop the victim from breathing.

Defining Strangulation and What it Means for Survivors

The Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention defines strangulation as “the obstruction of blood vessels and/or airflow in the neck resulting in asphyxia.” This type of assault can have serious, permanent, or even fatal damage to the victim’s throat or brain. Symptoms include: 

  • Loss of memory 
  • Loss of consciousness 
  • Chest pain 
  • Bruising on neck 
  • Unable to speak or swallow 

For more signs and symptoms, click here. Warning – this is a very graphic poster, although it’s not a real person depicted.

This crime is often missed by law enforcement and medical professionals because in more than half of cases, there are no visible signs.  The National Domestic Violence Hotline reports that strangulation is a significant predictor of future lethal violence.

If someone has been strangled by a partner in the past, the risk of being killed by that partner is seven times higher.

Get Help

Do you fear your partner will strangle you or worry about the long-term effects of previous strangulation abuse? We will answer your call 24 hours a day, every day of the year – 800-544-2022. 

The featured image was inspired by MobileODT.

Further Reading

Click the link above to open a brochure from Alliance for Hope International about strangulation. There is a ‘visible signs’ drawing that is graphic included on the brochure.

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Summering with GreenHouse17 Series Wrap Up

August 12, 2021By

Thank you for joining me during my Summering with GreenHouse17 series.

I’ve had an amazing 10 weeks so far working here. I’ve learned so much about all the things we do to support survivors and stand by them while they heal from abuse.  

I’ve played in the backyard with the kids living at shelter, made a dish with Chef Theo, observed a group meeting, attended court with a legal advocate, and had so many more eye-opening and important experiences.  

I love getting to see residents and their kids in the halls when I get to shelter. Hearing their stories is so impactful and I can’t wait to share them with you. You can find Daisy’s story here and survivor field notes here on our Instagram, and Rose’s story here on the blog. 

You can help support GreenHouse17!  An easy way is to follow us on social media – Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and like, comment, and share our posts! It helps us reach more people.  

I’ll leave you with a quote Darlene, our Executive Director, ends each email with —  

“Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.” 
— Maya Angelou   

Want to learn more about us?

Read our newsletter - Bloom - by clicking the link above 💜

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Summering with GreenHouse17 – Legal Advocacy

August 4, 2021By

In this fifth post from the Summering with GreenHouse17 series, Chelsey goes off the farm and joins one of our legal advocates in court.

Advocacy is at the center of what we do at GreenHouse17. Survivors need to know they’re supported, especially when navigating the legal system. This is where our legal advocates come in. 

We have legal advocates in all 17 counties we serve. They are at court each day judges are ruling on domestic violence cases. In Fayette County that is Monday – Thursday from 8:30am until about 10:30 or 11am. 

I was able to join advocate Katy Goins to learn more about what our legal advocates’ roles are. 

I arrived at the Fayette Circuit Court at 8:30am on a Monday morning to meet Katy. She introduced me to Carmen Brown, an advocate from The Nest. They work together to make sure everyone is offered support. 

Katy and Carmen go speak to all the petitioners (16 on the day I attended) on the docket for the day. Advocates answer any questions petitioners have and offer emotional support if they are upset. For a lot of petitioners, it’s their first time in court and it’s very scary for them to be facing their abuser. Family and friends are not allowed in the courtroom. 

The judge works through the docket and these things mainly happen with cases –  

  • If the respondent wants to tell their side of the story, a hearing is scheduled. 
  • Cases are dismissed if the petitioner requests it. The judge always asks the petitioner if they have talked to an advocate before dismissing. 
  • Approving a protective order if the respondent passes on telling their side of the story. 

It was an intense day and I have so much respect for the survivors going through this and the legal advocates that are there to help them.  

Whether you just want to talk or you’re ready to initiate services, we will answer your call 24 hours a day, every day of the year – 800-544-2022. 

Further Reading

For more detailed information about protective orders and court procedures, visit the link above.

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Handmade by Survivors Products

July 21, 2021By

In this fourth post from the Summering with GreenHouse17 series, Chelsey learns about products survivors help make!

The Handmade by Survivors products smell amazing and by purchasing them you support the survivors we serve.

Making these products has a special connection to our mission. The process provides collaborative work and microenterprise experience for survivors, while also generating resources for our organization.

“We make soaps, lip balms, bath salts, and candles. Just really wonderful things that people in society already use. But we were able to make them from a heartfelt place.” – Jewell

Our products are Kentucky Proud and essential oils provide amazing fragrances. We ship our products nationally, offer local pick up, or you can visit one of our retail sales partners.

I had fun making this video in our Healing Garden of close-ups of some of the products. My favorites are the ‘Remembrance’ soap and ‘Fresh Start’ candle. Keep up with us on Instagram for more videos!

And if you’d like to sample everything we make, you can purchase a Hope Box, which includes one of each product!

Purchase Handmade by Survivors Products!

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Summering with GreenHouse17

June 23, 2021By

Join new staff member Chelsey as she learns about GreenHouse17.

selfie of Chelsey standing in front of apple treesHello! I am Chelsey, the new Content Specialist at GreenHouse17!  

I have worked for nonprofit organizations since graduating college, but none have quite been like GreenHouse17. I remember first hearing about the organization while at a Kentucky Nonprofit Network event. It was 2013 and they had just won the Nonprofit Innovation Award.  

Throughout the years, I was able to meet various staff members at outreach events. I was always impressed at how the organization was growing and how passionate everyone was. Eight years later, here I am on staff, and it feels like home.  

It is a home. Our offices are located in the shelter with the residents. We can share meals in the cafeteria and talk to the women and children in the halls. We get to witness the struggles and triumphs of who we serve – these strong survivors – firsthand.  

I’m going to bring you along with me as I learn more about the survivors we serve and our programs over the next few weeks. This ‘Summering with GreenHouse17 ’ blog series will take you through more of how we do things – the food we grow and use in our cafeteria, Handmade by Survivors products, legal advocacy, and more!  

Here are a few pictures I took in my first weeks at the shelter!  

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Read more from the series.

Tap on the link above for more summer stories from Chelsey.

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Intimate Partner Abuse in the LGBTQIA+ Community

June 23, 2021By

You have the right to safety and support – and you deserve a healthy relationship. 

The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey finds LGBTQIA+ people experience intimate partner violence at rates similar to, or higher than, heterosexual and cisgender people.  

Isolation is a common tactic of abusers to gain power and control in a relationship. Breaking free from this isolation can be so difficult, especially if family and friends you trusted chose to become estranged when you came out. Other tactics of power and control often include the following:

  • Outing your sexual orientation or gender identity to family and employers. 
  • Portraying the violence as mutual, consensual, or normal. 
  • Denying your gender identity and/or expression. 
  • Hiding or throwing away medications and hormones. 
  • Ridiculing style and fashion that corresponds to your gender expression. 

These threats and manipulations are compounded by a lack of community resources that understand and affirm LGBTQIA+ identities. Fear of further oppression due to intersecting identities make it harder to reach out for support.

Many on our staff are part of the LGBTQIA+ community, and everyone at our organization believes you deserve to feel safe in your intimate relationship.

Have you wondered if your relationship is healthy? Do you have a friend you suspect could be suffering from physical or emotional abuse? Whether you just want to talk or you’re ready to initiate services, we will answer your call 24 hours a day, every day of the year – 800-544-2022. 

Further Reading

For common myths about intimate partner abuse in LGBTQIA+ relationships, follow the link above for an article from the Human Rights Campaign.

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