Author Archives: GreenHouse17 Staff

The following is a beautiful blog written by a resident at our shelter:

“A blessing and a curse understanding the misunderstood independent and then codependent -is this what mixed emotions are all about?

With all the redundant obstacles that life requires, How easily does one become hypocritical? Tried and then tried to figure this journey out within the walls of this safe haven.

It’s encouraged here that the extremest impossibilities are purely tangible. But that most supernatural being that engulfs my atmosphere named Misery truly loves my company. I’m learning that to learn myself is that key I’ve always needed to that locked door in this secret garden.

Still easily lost on a straight path, I thought it was okay to expect an opportunity to fall into the palm of my hand. Ill knowledged? NO But my feet must make rhythmic moves and my cerebellum make rational decisions. All along, accepting that merging left to go right, is going to happen time and time again.

Throughout, I must want to need to help myself because accepting myself, nobody every made me feel this way. Come closer and let your light shine through.”

This post is part of our Survivor Stories series.

How do you imagine our shelter?

Many people assume it’s a sad place given the nature of our mission, but our shelter probably isn’t what you imagine.

Although the families we serve are healing from unimaginable physical, emotional, and financial violence,  our shelter is a place where hope grows.

Every day more than 32 adults and children find safety and healing between the walls of our emergency shelter. Survivors meet in the mornings to support each other and create plans for better tomorrows. Children run through our hallways after school on their way outside to play. The smells of homemade meals float through our building at suppertime.

We are nurturing lives harmed by intimate partner abuse, and we want to share these stories of hope with you.

So, each month this summer we are offering a tour of our facility:

• Tuesday, June 24 – 5:30 p.m.
• Thursday, July 31 – 11:30 a.m.
• Tuesday, August 26 – 5:30 p.m.

Tours last about an hour and include light refreshments. Our advocates and counselors will be on hand to answer questions about our services; a member of our leadership team will describe the vision for our organization’s future; and a shelter resident will share a personal story of survival.

We limit the size of each tour group (usually fewer than 10 people) to ensure a quality experience and plenty of time to ask questions.

Registration before the tour is required.

Just give Josh a call at 859-868-8868 or complete the following form to register. We will follow up with additional information and driving directions before the tour.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Josh Nadzam, former University of Kentucky athlete and member of our staff, will run from Lexington to Frankfort on Thursday, March 6 to raise awareness and support for proposed legislation to protect victims of intimate partner abuse in dating relationships.

Did you see Josh in the news and want to show your support? Follow this link to make your donation.

This is a one-man run to improve Kentucky’s response to the needs of dating violence victims. Josh acknowledges the run is going to be difficult but says, “The challenge is nothing compared to the difficulties experienced by victims and survivors of dating violence in Kentucky.”

“I believe so many Kentuckians support civil protections for dating partners but just aren’t aware of the challenges advocates and legislators have faced trying to make this bill law,” says Nadzam. “I’m hoping my run to Frankfort gets people talking and calling on our elected officials for support.”

Josh is asking Kentuckians to show their support for dating violence protections by making a donation for every mile he will run. Contributions will benefit our organization and provide services to survivors in need.

“I’m a runner. So, I’m running because these protections are really needed here in Kentucky,” says Nadzam. “But everyone can do something. After all, if we are aware of injustices and don’t do anything, then we are contributing to those injustices as passive bystanders.”

He has created an online campaign to accept donations. Learn more at this link.

We  just received some amazing news. Our organization is among four recipients of the 2013 Mary Byron Project Celebrating Solutions Award!

This national award showcases and recognizes organizations for innovations that demonstrate promise in breaking the cycle of domestic violence. A panel of experts select programs they believe serve as models for the nation. The award specifically recognizes our organization’s commitment to integrating  farming, nutrition, and other trauma-informed healing efforts with traditional responses to domestic violence to help victims rebuild their lives as survivors.

Fellow award-winners include District Alliance for Safe Housing, (DASH) in Washington, D.C.; National Crime Victim Law Institute in Portland, Oregon; and Rutgers, School of Social Work, Center on Violence Against Women and Children in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Each winning organization will receive $10,000 donation from the Mary Byron Project.

News of this important recognition is especially meaningful to our Board of Directors and staff during the holiday season, when the critical need for our services and care is underscored. Although the day-t0-day work of our complex mission can be daunting, survivors in our shelter and around our 17-county service area inspire us every day to continue our commitment to the  mission of ending intimate partner violence in families and our community.

We have big news to share! We’ve learned an idea we submitted to a national competition was chosen as a finalist from more than 160 submissions representing 260 applying organizations

A few weeks ago, our staff submitted an idea to the Partnership for Freedom, a competition seeding innovative ideas to better care for survivors of modern-day slavery in the United States. Reimagine: Opportunity, the first of three challenges to be issued by The Partnership for Freedom, seeks creative, sustainable ways to address critical issues faced by human trafficking survivors: sustainable housing, economic empowerment and social services

Our idea supports survivor healing and self-sufficiency through development of agricultural vocation and small business skills to promote economic independence. The program model borrows from the agricultural practice of value-added production, a process that increases the economic value of produce by altering its condition.

We have formed a project team — representing our organization, Grow Appalachia, and Berea College — and will travel to Washington D.C. next month to participate in an Innovation Workshop to refine our idea and prepare our proposal for final submission. We look forward to sharing and exploring our commitment to agriculture-based healing with national leaders and innovators to help find solutions for survivors.

Final winners will be announced in Spring 2014 and will receive funding to begin piloting their solutions. We will keep you updated along the way. Wish us luck!

Our friends at United Way of the Bluegrass have partnered with Walmart to collect donations of unwrapped toys this Saturday, December 14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Please swing by to help Fill the Truck for Local Kids! Look for the big truck in the parking lots at the Nicholasville Road and Richmond Road Walmart locations.

The toys collected during the day will be shared by our organization and Chrysalis House.

Help stock our Santa Shops to create some holiday cheer where it’s needed most and show your support for survivors. We will be the only source of holiday help for more than 100 families surviving intimate partner abuse this season.  The families we serve in our shelter and the community are surviving physical and emotional trauma that no one should ever have to experience, especially during the holidays.

• Nonviolent toys  and winter outerwear for children of all ages–from infants to teens–and gifts for adults of varying ages, sizes, and interests are needed. We’ve put together a list of gift ideas. You’ll find a few items listed in the right column of this page. The complete list can be downloaded here. We appreciate the delivery of unwrapped gifts to our shelter by Friday, December 13. Just give us a call at 859-233-0657 for driving directions. (We’ll ask you to complete a short form for your tax records when you drop off the gifts.)
• Are you planning to do most of your holiday shopping online these days? If so, please consider purchasing a few items from our Amazon.com Wish Lists. When you add items from our wish lists to your shopping cart, you’ll be given the option to have them delivered directly to our shelter. It’s super-easy. (Your receipt of purchase from our wish list will serve as your tax documentation for the donation.)
• Gift cards to popular regional retail outlets like Target and Walmart help us make last minute purchases to help families who have left behind everything to be safe just days before the holidays. Cards can be dropped in the mail to GreenHouse17, ATTN FINANCE, PO Box 55190; Lexington, KY 40555. (Please  include your name and mailing address if you’d like to receive a letter for your tax files.)

Maybe you’d like to do a little more to help survivors this season? Consider coordinating a holiday donation drive at your workplace or organization! Just send us a note using this form, and we’ll follow up really soon to help you start planning.

With your help, we are committed to creating hope, healing, and cheer for survivors during the season.

The Holidays are here!

Can you believe it?  It seems like just yesterday we packed away our sunblock and swimsuits and now we are gearing up for the Winter Holidays!  Here at GreenHouse17 we are very excited about some cool things happening at our shelter and in the community.   However, we need your help.

The families at our shelters are experiencing some of the most difficult times in their lives–traumatic situations that no one should ever have to experience.  Our hope is that, with your help, we can provide some Holiday cheer that will comfort them this Holiday Season and let them know that they are truly cared for.

There are MANY ways you can get involved.  Donations.  Toys.  Gifts.  Holiday drives at your organizations.  Cards.  The list is endless! If you are looking for a way to express your compassion for those who are currently recovering from domestic violence, click the link below for some ideas:

Holiday Giving – GreenHouse17 – 2013

We kindly ask if you would like to donate presents, please deliver your gifts unwrapped by Friday, December 13th. 

Thank you all, have a great week!