Stories

Empowered Expression

Through the Artist Enrichment Grant at the Kentucky Foundation for Women, photographer Katie Romano will support survivors this year through her digital and analog art.

Katie says, “I am so excited to be working with GreenHouse17 and creating artwork which uplifts and advocates for women. Sharing the voices of survivors is a critical step to raise awareness.”

This is Katie’s second Bloom cover collaboration. We were excited to welcome her back to help share Paula’s story and look forward to sharing more survivor stories with the community this year.

“When survivors choose to share their stories, the experience affirms their strength and makes their healing visible,” says Corissa Phillips, our external relations director. “Photography can tell these stories in ways that words alone cannot.”

The Artist Enrichment grant provides opportunities for artists to develop new skills and art that advances social justice in Kentucky. This year’s recipients include artists across literary, performing, visual, and media art. Visit the Kentucky Foundation for Women website at kfw.org to learn more.

“When you’re a survivor, you’re surviving.”

I had my own place, and a new job, and that’s where I met him.

There was a lot of gaslighting. He would call me names and belittle me. He always made me feel like I was dumb, and I knew I wasn’t.

It was a lot of getting back together, trying to make things work. I knew I had to get out of the relationship but found out I was pregnant.

One night I came home after working one of my two jobs and he was drunk. We started fighting. He was really angry. He grabbed my arms and tackled me to the ground and left a bruise.

That was the first and only physical abuse. I left and filed for a protective order. He avoided being served for months. I had to quit my jobs and move to a shelter in Frankfort.

I wasn’t required to attend the court hearing in Lexington but was so desperate. I told the judge I had to revoke my emergency protective order because I didn’t have anywhere to go. I had to go back to my abuser.

The judge said no—and asked if there was a representative from GreenHouse17 in the court.

Living at GreenHouse17 was the best of times and the worst of times. I treated it like a sociological project and tried to intellectualize my trauma. The things that were most helpful were the support groups. I went to every group that I could attend.

Coming here gave me resources to deal with what happened during my childhood. I grew up in a very chaotic situation and GreenHouse17 gave me tools to deal with this trauma.

When you’re a survivor, you’re surviving. You’re going to make compromises with yourself and your pride to deal with abusers. You will have to make sacrifices.

People think you’re going to be this exemplary human, the heroine of your story, but you’re a flawed person like anybody else.

Everything that happens in our lives feeds into our journey. The most important thing is getting back on your feet. Go to therapy, talk with a therapist, and find healthy coping strategies.

I lived in the transitional housing program after shelter. Having a place of my own that I could afford kept me from going back.

Today, I work at two elementary schools, volunteer at church, co-lead a Latino Literacy program, and am working to become a Spanish Interpreter for Fayette County Schools.

I’m planning to get my master’s degree and will be getting married this year. We’ve been together for five years. He’s very compassionate, peaceful and calm.

This is only part of Paula’s story, in her own words, shared with permission.

A Place Where Animals Belong

Pets are more than companions for many survivors. They’re lifelines. Abusers often exploit this bond, using threats or harm to animals as a way to maintain control.

For those seeking safety from intimate partner abuse, leaving a beloved pet behind can feel impossible. That’s why our 40-acre farm is a place where survivors and their animals can heal together until it is safe to begin again.

A few animals on our farm never leave because we are their forever home. Horses Solo and Saucy graze in quiet pastures, waiting at the fence for children coming home from school.

Farm cats wander the summer flower rows, dodging attempts to capture them in photos, and find refuge in their handmade winter condos when the temperatures cool.

Other animal friends drop in for a visit from time to time. We love when service puppies-in-training hang out on the porch to practice their social skills. Past visits from Timber’s Grateful Companions, Mater the goat, and his sister Itty Bitty Betty have made hard days lighter.

Survivors and animals deserve to rediscover what safety and connection truly feel like. Because love, in all its forms, is healing.

Forever Part of Our Healing Home

We dedicate this issue to three animal friends  gone too soon. Morris, our first property cat, passed years ago and today serves as our unofficial mascot. Boone, our neighbor dog, never belonged to us but found a special place in our hearts with his regular visits. JB, the beloved horse of Lyndsay, a longtime advocate in the mission, lived with us on the farm for many years. His hooves may rest, but his spirit still runs deep.

Protection & Care

Lexington-Fayette Animal Care and Control is on a mission to protect the health and safety of the community and its animals.

“We are privileged to have partnered with GreenHouse17 for the last decade to ensure animals in difficult circumstances remain safe and well cared for,” shares Ashley Browning, Assistant Chief. “No one should have to choose between their safety and the safety of their pet.”

Research finds up to 40% of survivors delay leaving an abuser because they are unable to take their pets with them. Thanks to community-coordinated care, survivors in central Kentucky have options.

“Our daily focus is to provide resources and services that help pets stay in the care of their owners. Our partnership with GreenHouse17 is an extension of that goal”, explains Ashley. “If that means a brief stay for an animal in our care, or a low-cost vaccine, we are happy to help.”

Did you know that Kentucky orders of protection can also include pets? Coercion, control, or revenge directed against a pet to control a spouse or dating partner is considered domestic violence.

Helping Lexington Pets

The mission of the Lexington Pet Pantry is to keep pets with their families. The group provides essential pet food and supplies to those in need.

Founder Amber Litwiller reached out earlier this year, and our partnership began. “If you’re in a crisis, you don’t want to lose something that helps you,” says Amber “Keeping people with their pets is what we’re all about.”

The self-serve pantry at our emergency shelter is stocked regularly with pet food and supplies for residents, helping survivors care for their animals while they focus on healing.

Pet Pantry volunteers also stock public self-serve pantries at the Living Arts and Science Center and Blue Stallion Brewing Company.

“The shared health of people, animals, and our environment is all interconnected,” adds Amber.

For many survivors, their animal companions are also victims of abuse. Although the shelter is not a good fit for every pet, our advocates provide support and resources for animals so survivors can find safety without worry.