Annual Report

Paula’s Story

March 16, 2026By

“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.

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21 Years

Tanya’s Story

October 20, 2025By

“In the beginning of our marriage, he was very abusive and controlling.”

The physical abuse had ended, but the mental, emotional, and financial abuse continued. I took off numerous times and went back because it was familiar.

I just woke up one morning and was like, I can’t do this anymore. I have custody of my grandson and packed his things. My best friend came and got me.

I was on the verge of going back home, but my daughter had a co-worker who told her about this place. Thank God GreenHouse17 picked up the phone and had a bed for me.

I was there from October to the end of March. They helped me balance my biggest issues and taught me boundaries. I’ve always said that I was a caretaker, but sometimes people can abuse that.

There was another young lady at the shelter, and we became really close. She asked if I’d be willing to keep her dog, Roscoe. He’s been with me ever since.

I’m so glad I was able to keep him. I didn’t know if I could do it because I’ve never owned a pet before. I’ve cried with Roscoe, talked to him.

Transitioning into my new apartment was scary. Every little noise made me think, is someone here with me? I don’t know what I would have done without this fella. Emotionally, he is my everything.

Don’t give up hope. Just reach out. It doesn’t matter your situation—there’s always help. I know what it’s like to be afraid. It’s hard, I get it. But you can do it.

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

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21 Years

Mary Ann’s Story

July 31, 2025By

“I have reclaimed my strength and my voice.”

On the morning of December 18, 2022, I was jolted awake by my now ex-husband, only to find myself being brutally attacked.

I was hit in the head with a phone, my face busted, knocked to the ground, held down by the back of my neck, and told I was going to be killed if I said anything or moved.

I lay there, my mind racing with a single thought. I don’t want to die. The man staring at me was not the man I had married. I knew I had to run.

I broke free and sprinted out the door. I ran up the driveway, down the road, and finally ducked behind a truck. My hands were shaking as I dialed 911.

He was arrested that night, but less than two weeks later, he was released on bond with an ankle monitor. I was granted a temporary Emergency Protective Order (EPO) until our court hearing on January 10, 2023.

On that day, the court issued a three-year no contact Domestic Violence Order (DVO).

The order meant nothing to him. He wasted no time violating it, calling and leaving 23 messages within five days. The ankle monitor offered no real protection–he had already decided he was coming for me.

As a survivor of domestic violence, I continue to endure the ongoing actions of my abuser every day. My ex-husband has violated the protective order against him more than 50 times, yet each offense has been classified as a misdemeanor.

When does it stop?

I reached out to James Tipton, my state representative, and left a voicemail about my situation. He called me the next day…

Mary Ann’s phone call with Representative Tipton would make history. Her story continues here.

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

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tania and her two girls standing in front of a tree making hearts with their hands21 Years

Tania’s Story

September 26, 2024By

“We believe this is the only person that is going to save us when they are the person that is ruining us.”

I realized that’s why I got targeted, because they look for people that are merciless to themselves. The strong woman that I am would never have allowed that to happen.

But it’s not about strength. It’s not about knowledge. It’s not about being intelligent or unintelligent.

This person strips everything from you. It does not happen overnight. It is a process. By the time they get you to your most vulnerable, you are alone, because they’ve made sure of that.

Even if you want help, even if you have people in your life, you don’t know how to articulate to these people that you need help. You’re worried about this person hurting your family, hurting people that you care about.

I made a choice to get out. It doesn’t matter when you make that choice. It doesn’t matter why you make that choice. Whatever gets you out of that situation. That’s all that matters.

There were times in the shelter I was a hot mess, but you all saw more in me. That’s what you need. You need people around you that see something great. It was me saying I was worthy of that.

I want my daughters to see that there is better in life, and they don’t have to go down my path. They can go a different way because they are worthy.

That’s why I call them my princesses because I want them to know that they are royalty. It doesn’t matter where they grow up or if we have a lot of money. Your heart and your mind are what matters.

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

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chelsea standing in front of shelter doorsBlog

Chelsea’s Story

July 11, 2024By

“My life and stability were up in the air.”

“I was scared and trying to leave this relationship, trying to get my ducks in a row.”

A childhood friend recommended she reach out to ask for our support. Chelsea was pregnant when she and her two-year-old arrived at the emergency shelter.

“I would spend hours walking back and forth on the front porch with him in the stroller. I couldn’t get him to sleep and didn’t want to disturb anyone else.”

Those first few weeks living at the shelter weren’t easy. “I was hyper-focusing and overthinking everything. It was really hard on me, being pregnant. My life and stability were up in the air.”

She stayed busy on purpose. “I was meeting with my advocates, doing therapy, or doing groups. We would talk about boundaries and red flags, green flags, even yellow flags.”

During one group activity, Chelsea remembers writing a note to her younger self and a note to the abuser to burn in the fire pit.

“We talked about boundaries and coping techniques. I always did the mommy and me groups. We did pottery and yoga under the pavilion.”

Although put on bed rest during the final weeks of her pregnancy, Chelsea was able to move into a transitional apartment with her son before the baby was born.

“I was in a different elementary school each grade of the year, so stability was always a real big thing for me. When I had kids, I knew that I needed stability because I never had it.”

When asked what she would tell someone coming into shelter, Chelsea said, “You’re here to heal. If you come with that mindset, you’re going to feel like a totally different person. But remember not everybody is going to understand what you went through, so not everybody deserves your story.”

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

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Shannon standing in hoop houseBlog

Shannon’s Story

March 22, 2024By

“This was someone I let into my heart, my home, and around my son.”

I met this guy who seemed like a southern gentleman, and he made me feel like the luckiest girl in the world. It truly seemed like a dream come true.

Until it all changed in the blink of an eye. One night, he was going through my messages on my phone without my consent.

When I asked what he was doing and why, his demeanor and tone changed. He turned into a completely different person.

He gets in my face and says, ‘You need to delete all social media right now. You’re not allowed to talk to anybody.’

I was in shock. I wasn’t sure how to respond and said, ‘You need to pack your stuff and leave.’ I wanted to defuse the situation before it got any worse.

Over the next couple of days, we talked on and off. One moment the conversation would be, ‘I’m so sorry, I’ll change,’ and the next he would say, ‘You’re a whore, you’re a slut.”

It only got worse from there. It started with a property complaint, and two officers showed up.

I got a restraining order. That made him even more mad. He told me to watch out because he had connections that would come after me.

He was also texting my family members and reaching out to my friends on Facebook, saying none of this was his fault. He placed all the blame on me.

He got ahold of my child’s father. They collaborated to file an emergency protective removal order, trying to take my son away from me.

We had to go to court multiple times, and everything got dismissed. The judge ordered my abuser to get help and mandated he take classes.

I still can’t say I feel safe, but it does get better. My chapter ends with my advocates staying by my side and guiding me through all of this.

I hope that my story will help just one person. What scares me the most is the unknown and the thought of this happening to somebody else.

I want to share my story. The more we talk about our experiences and share our stories, the more we get to spread awareness.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Reach out before it’s too late.

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

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