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Parking fees at this year’s CRAVE Food + Music Festival will be donated to support survivors of intimate partner abuse!

Our friends at Event Parking Expert will be coordinating parking during the big event. And we’re helping them to identify some generous volunteers willing to help out during the weekend. If you are interested in lending a hand, please complete the short form below.

This form is just letting us know the days and times you are available. Look for an email a couple weeks before the event that will confirm your volunteer shift and other details. You might be required to participate in a short training session prior to the event.

Every volunteer will receive a free t-shirt and other perks. :)

Beautiful flowers are budding and blooming on our farm! Wandering the fields and exploring the hoop houses calms our spirits, while reminding us –  quite literally – to stop and smell the flowers.

That’s why we farm. We believe nature heals, inspires reflection, and encourages relaxation. Research suggests coloring has similar benefits. So, we’ve put together these coloring pages of flowers to share with you!

Click or tap on the images below to print coloring pages.

By the way, our Full Season Weekly Summer Flower CSA memberships begin soon, but there’s still time to sign up for Half and Quarter season shares. Every membership reminds survivors that our community cares about their well-being.  Learn more and sign up at this link.

Sunflower Kids, a local nonprofit  that provides supervised visitation and monitored exchange services, will cease operations on March 1, 2018.  Our agency, GreenHouse17, plans to assume delivery of these critical community services as soon as possible.

“It is our goal to provide immediate and long-term safety for survivors and their children,” says Darlene Thomas, GreenHouse17 Executive Director. “Safe exchange and visitation services are another way we can fulfill our mission.”

A press release issued by Sunflower Kids explains the federal grant from the Office on Violence Against Women in the Department of Justice that provided the majority of funding for the agency recently expired, leaving insufficient funds to operate. The fiscal crisis prompted the Board of Directors for Sunflower Kids to seek another nonprofit agency with the capacity, experience, and stability to assume these critical services.

The closing will affect offices in Lexington and Georgetown.

“We regret the lapse in service that will occur,” says Steven Stadler, Chair of Sunflower Kids’ Board of Directors, “but we will continue to work with GreenHouse17 to make the transition as smooth and quick as possible.”

GreenHouse17 will contact all clients formerly served by Sunflower Kids to arrange for continuation of services when operations resume.

Community partners, including Fayette Family Court, Friend of the Court, Lexington Fayette Urban County Government’s Department of Social Services and Division of Grants and Special Programs, the Lexington Police Department, and the Georgetown Police Department, are committed keeping families safe in the interim and after services resume.

“We have been working diligently to secure funding and figure out next steps to reopen services as soon as possible,” explains Thomas. “We look forward to the opportunity to serve these families in need.”

Clients with questions about visitation should contact their attorneys, if possible, or the court that issued the visitation order. Safety planning assistance is available 24-hours a day by calling 800-544-2022.

GreenHouse17 is a nonprofit organization committed to ending intimate partner abuse in families and its impact on the community. To learn more about our services, please visit this link.

This Valentine’s Day also is our 13th anniversary as a nonprofit organization. In celebration, we’ve created a few healthy relationship cards that you can share on social media to raise awareness and show some love.

Share one with your best friend, share one with your romantic partner, and share one for yourself!

Not sure how to share an image on social media? Here are a few options:

• The easiest way? Just tap or click on one of the social media icons at the top of this page to share all of the cards!
• If using a mobile phone or tablet, long tap on an image in the slide show and choose the “share” option.
• If using a desktop, right-click on the image in the slide show, choose “copy image,” go to your social media account, right-click in the post, and choose the “paste” option.

Graphics used in the design of these cards are licensed for reuse by vecteezy.com.

It’s a holiday pop-up shop featuring our Handmade By Survivors products. Come on out to the farm to stuff your stockings with gifts that support survivors!

Saturday, December 16
10 am to 2 pm
4400 Briar Hill Road
Lexington

We’ll be converting the kitchen on the backside of the property into a festive holiday shop for this local shopping event. Our soaps, lip balm, aroma sprays, candles, bath salts, and more will be available for purchase!

And we’ll have hot coffee and holiday treats to enjoy while you browse.

Our Handmade By Survivors products are made with natural and nourishing ingredients. Every product sold will benefit survivors of intimate partner abuse on their journey of healing. And reminds them our community cares about their well-being.

Cash, check, and credit cards accepted during the event.

Here are a few images of products that will be available at the shop. Join the event page on Facebook to receive updates about the event.

Participate in a day to start conversations about domestic violence on Sunday, October 15!

Talk about it during your faith service. Talk about it before the game. Talk about it during a walk with your neighbor. Consider the barriers to leaving, accountability for abusers, media representations of abuse, and the intersection of -isms with domestic violence.

Download the printable Conversations Sunday flier from this link.

These are difficult but important topics.  Your conversations will help create a community that is intolerant of violence and supports survivors.

Not sure how to begin the conversation? Check out these ideas and prompts to get started (and keep the conversation going.)

And remember to share your participation on social media throughout the day to raise awareness for the cause! Don’t forget to tag and mention us in your post: #ConversationSunday #TalkAboutDV #DVAM #supportsurvivors #endDV @GreenHouse17 @GreenHouse17KY

For more information, please send us a note or call Mary at 859-519-1906.

It’s a three-day Flash online donation drive to support survivors from Friday, October 27 through Sunday, October 29.

Shop the GreenHouse17 “Rest Well” wish list on Amazon.com from Fri, Oct 27 – Sun Oct 29 to purchase much-needed bedding supplies for adults and children surviving abuse. And ship your donation directly to our emergency shelter.

View our wish list at this link.

Items on our wish list range in price from $10 to $40. The goal is 100 bedding donations, enough for every new shelter resident this winter to receive (and keep) a new a sheet set, pillow, and comforter.

Share your support on social media to raise awareness for the donation drive.  Remember to tag and mention us in your post: #FlashDonationDrive #DVAM #supportsurvivors #endDV @GreenHouse17 @GreenHouse17KY

For more information, please send us a note or call Mary at 859-519-1906.

Are you looking at your bundle of beautiful flowers and thinking…now what?! We’ve prepared 17 tips to support you through the process.

Grab some scissors and let’s get creative! Don’t forget to take a photo of your creation to share with us. Tag us on Facebook @GreenHouse17 and mention us @greenhouse17ky on Twitter and Instagram.

1. Believe in your amazing flower arranging skills. Say these words aloud: “I am the flower whisperer.”

2. What vessel will you use? We adore recycled cans and jars. Fancy glassware works, too. This decision will contribute to the height and shape of your final arrangement. No pressure. Just give it some thought…

3. Ok, now determine the height of your arrangement. Shorter works well for table centerpieces. Tall is great for side tables. Medium works in almost any situation.

4. What shape do you imagine? Squarish? Round? Cylindrical? Boxy? Any of these will work, but you have to choose a basic shape now to move forward.

5. OK, one more decision. Think about color. Will your arrangement feature one, two, or many colors. Think about the color wheel. Colors across from each other on the wheel seem more vibrant together (like purple and yellow.) Colors near each other on the wheel always are good together, too (like orange and yellow.)

6. Are you still believing in your amazing flower arranging skills? You got this! Now pour some water (not too cold, not too warm) in your vessel. Add just enough water that your stems will dip into it.

7. Begin placing the flowers in your vessel. One by one, trim the stems at an angle to fit the general height and shape you’ve chosen for the arrangement. You can always trim off a little more later, so don’t go too short. Snip off a few of the lower leaves from your flower stems while you’re at it.

8. Whoa there. Why are your rushing? Slow down. Take a deep breath. Believe it or not, flower arranging can be a very relaxing experience. It’s all going to come together beautifully.

9. Keep your final vision in mind. Try to place each flower about where you want them to be in the final arrangement. And be open to new possibilities. Your flowers might seem a little unruly right now but…

10. Leave some room for bloom. Sometimes less is more, and you still need to add the textural greenery to bring it all together.

11. Now add some texture. Are your flowers bold and pointy? Then consider adding greenery that’s soft and feathery. Are your flowers delicate and wispy? Maybe a strong leafy stem will add contrast.

12. Don’t second guess yourself. Be creative. Be confident. This is your vision. You are making it happen!

13. Look at your beautiful creation. Step back and examine your arrangement from all sides. Is it still the shape you planned on? If not, do you like this shape better than the one you planned?

14. Make adjustments. If a flower is too tall, trim the stem a bit. Does the general shape of the arrangement need to be more defined? That’s OK. Tweak a little here and there.

15. Admire your arrangement again. Does it make you smile? If you’re not smiling just yet, repeat the previous step. Then add a bit more water to the vessel.

16. Find the most perfect spot in your home for your arrangement. Avoid spaces near air vents, microwaves, and ripening vegetables which can harm your flowers. Once you find the spot, take lots of photos of creation and post them on social media. Tag us so we can ooh and ahh with you!

17. We completely believe in the power of talking to your flowers. Say this to them at least once a day: “You are an amazing and beautiful gift from nature.” We bet they’ll last a little bit longer, if you do.

#HopeBlooms #FlowerPower #SupportSurvivors #endDV

Today  – June 29, 2017 –  two new laws improving protections for victims of domestic and dating violence law go into effect.

1.)  Under the new law sponsored by Rep. Melinda Gibbons Prunty, it is illegal to evict any victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual abuse or stalking who has a civil or criminal protective order. The new law also requires landlords to allow survivors who have long-term protective orders to replace locks on rental housing and break leases, while also making it illegal to deny someone rental housing because of their status as a victim.

2.) Under the new law sponsored by Sen. Ralph Alvarado and supported by more than two dozen organizations, Kentucky professionals in health care, school, faith, law enforcement, social services, and other sectors are required to provide resources and referrals for suspected victims. This new law replaces the previous “Mandatory Reporting” law that many advocates believe was ineffective and often endangered lives. Sherry Currens, Executive Director of Kentucky Coalition Against Domestic Violence, says the new law “will increase survivors’ awareness of services while preserving their ability to control their own lives.”

Both laws protect former spouses; individuals who are living together, have formerly lived together, or have a child in common; and victims of dating violence. The Lexington Herald-Leader published this editorial about the new laws, and our sister organization in Louisville, The Center for Women and Families, features an article by Sherry Currens about the replacement of the mandatory reporting law at this link.