Partners

Listen to the new podcast which discusses how you can help stop domestic violence.

The “It’s Time” awareness campaign has released a podcast, It’s Time to Talk, hosted by Stephanie Theakston, program coordinator of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention Coalition (DSVPC), and Diane Fleet, associate director of our organization and chair of DSVPC.  

Domestic violence is not a private issue. It’s our responsibility to have open conversations, model ways people can support survivors, and hold people who abuse accountable. This is talked about more in-depth in the podcast, which has two episodes out now. 

“We’re not asking you to add something else to your daily routine. We’re not asking you to take on a big volunteer project. We’re asking you to look at the roles that you’re currently in and how you can think about that differently in order to help prevent domestic violence,” explains Stephanie Theakston. 

Episode 1 

It’s Time to Talk hosts are joined by LeTonia Jones, activist, and Darlene Thomas, executive director of GreenHouse17, to discuss what to do when the people we love are the ones causing harm. How do you approach your family, friends, and loved ones when you see them engaging in behavior that’s abusive? 

“You need to educate yourself. The more you know as a family member, as a friend, a colleague, about this issue and the dynamics, the better we will be in our approach of accountability. This is not your solution, it’s their solution,” explains Darlene.

Episode 2 

Hosts are joined by Fr. Jim Sichko, a Catholic missionary, and Rev. Helene Van Koevering, St. Raphael Episcopal Church, to discuss how faith leaders can be a part of the solution when it comes to preventing domestic violence. 

“Be bold enough to call it out, to preach it, and begin to stop it.” – Fr. Jim Sichko 

DV8 Kitchen serves more than delicious baked breads and meals. They provide second-chance employment opportunities for people who are in substance abuse recovery.

The restaurant’s dining tabletops at the Broadway and East End locations in Lexington feature lovely artwork related to the missions of nonprofit organizations in the recovery community.

Hope Center, Chrysalis House, New Vista, and many more of our community partners have painted tables. By featuring these missions, DV8 Kitchen raises awareness about the variety of services available in Lexington to everyone who visits their restaurants.

You can dine at a table designed and painted by Kristin Carpenter, our communications specialist, at both locations.

“Our tables show greenhouses, a place to grow and start fresh, surrounded by flowers and vegetables we grow on our farm to represent nourishment, growth,
and change,” shares Kristin.

“Conversations need to happen more often about intimate partner abuse, and I hope they happen around these tables.”

Getting and staying sober takes courage, especially if you’re a survivor of intimate partner abuse. National research finds that 67% of women accessing substance use treatment services have suffered intimate partner abuse during the previous six months.

“I’m a visible advocate for survivors. It’s time for you to be too.”

Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton speaks this call to action in the “It’s Time” awareness campaign organized by the Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention Coalition.

Featuring dozens of Lexington leaders, the campaign began last year in response to an increase in the city’s domestic violence homicides.

“It’s time for all of us to make sure we speak up, step in, and stand up for victims of domestic abuse,” says Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police.

Vice Mayor Dan Wu, Judge Melissa Moore Murphy, and Sheriff Kathy Witt lend their voice to the campaign. Several of our organization’s board members, staff, and partners are also featured.

“It’s time to believe survivors of all ages,” says Tanya Torp, executive director of Step By Step. “Those at the greatest risk for violence are between the ages of 14 and 24.”

The campaign debunks the myth that domestic violence is a private issue. It’s our responsibility to have open conversations, model ways people can support survivors, and hold people who abuse accountable.

“It’s time for us to acknowledge that victim blaming and shaming does nothing but harm us all,” says Sam Fore of Tuk Tuk Sri Lankan Bites.

“Acknowledging the realities of abuse shouldn’t be limited to when it’s convenient or when it’s someone you don’t know.”

“It’s time to know that your words matter,” says Pat Gerhard, owner of Third Street Stuff & Coffee. “Respect is super important. We are all one community.”

Look for the campaign across social media and visit the website for information about services, support, conversations, and prevention.

HollerGirl is a female-forward music festival that focuses on healing from domestic violence.

We were honored to be a part of the new HollerGirl Music Festival last year!  

Our community supports survivors in such unique ways, and we want to share more about this exciting event. 

This year the festival will take place August 11 – 13 at Rockcastle Riverside Campground.  

The lineup includes Senora May, Bee Taylor, and so many other amazing female artists.

Find more information, purchase tickets, or become a vendor by visiting their website here and follow along with them on Facebook here. 

Founder Kristen McClure sat down with us to discuss the festival and how it came to be.  

The Inspiration 

HollerGirl came from the idea of my passion for local music, highlighting women who get overlooked, and bringing in domestic violence is very important to me. 

I fell in love with the whole idea of music festivals and how wonderful they can be. Then I started thinking about all the talented female musicians we have here locally and how little I actually saw them on the bills, especially as headliners. 

The idea of HollerGirl came to me in February last year and I executed the idea in August. 

Women need to be heard. The local musicians we have around here are incredible. 

I wanted to combine the idea of highlighting female musicians with raising awareness for domestic violence survivors. I am a domestic violence survivor myself and my grandmother was also a survivor. 

That’s how GreenHouse17 came to be involved. My other main passion is GreenHouse17. I want to raise awareness. 

Family Friendly 

The festival is family-friendly and there will be kids’ activities. 

It’s super important to me that my children, they’re 8 and 10, are surrounded by this sort of atmosphere where women are empowered. It’s important to me for this festival to encourage kids to be strong and understand their place on this earth and what it means to be a good person. 

And understand the impact of what domestic violence means. That they can heal. I want to inspire them with seeing women on the stage. I want little girls to look up there and go, I can do that, too. 

The Location 

The space is Rockcastle Riverside. The river’s right there. It’s in the heat of August so people can walk down to that little sandy beach and get into the river. People are kayaking and kids are playing in the shallow area. 

Workshops, Art Auction, Local Artisans 

We’re going to have workshops this year.  

Cecilia Blair Wright is playing the festival and is also going to be doing music therapy. We’ll have a community art piece with GreenHouse17 and a writing workshop with Amy Figgs. 

There’s also an art auction and local women artisans. 

Open Mic Sunday 

This is a safe space. The open mic is going to be about release, healing, and inspiration. I think it’s an important part of healing from trauma. 

I had so many people coming up to me after the event and saying how special it was to them. People told me, ‘I don’t tell anybody this, but this happened to me. I’m so glad that you’re saying something.’ 

If they want to get up there and scream, sing a song, read poetry, or just say something, do it. 

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month.

The University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science recently started gathering voluntary data from survivors receiving our services for a study on traumatic brain injuries.

“Brain injury due to intimate partner violence has been regarded as an invisible injury and overlooked public health issue,” explains Dr. Justin Karr, Assistant Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology, Principal Investigator.

“There has been a lot of focus on brain injury in athletes and Veterans, but much less focus on survivors of intimate partner abuse.”

Decreased coordination, inability to concentrate, and lapses in memory are associated with injuries which can make it harder for someone to escape abuse, find safety, and begin to heal. These common symptoms can often be missed during standard evaluations.

“We’re hoping to learn more about the unmet health needs that survivors experience following a brain injury so that we may determine how to best address those needs,” explains Dr. Karr.

Women who are 18-64 years old and have experienced intimate partner violence during the past five years could be eligible for participation in the study. Click here for more information.

We are so lucky to have a generous community that cares about survivors.  

Josh Nadzam, Co-Founder and Board President of On the Move Art Studio, shares his personal connection with intimate partner abuse and how he uses his love of running to support survivors. 

Thank you, Josh!  

The first phone call I ever made was at 5 years old. I called 911 because my father was choking my mother up against a wall. Making a plea to the dispatcher was the most I could do then, but once I became an adult I was determined to do much more.

One way I could do this was by leveraging my ability to run to raise awareness for eradicating domestic violence and raise some funds for survivors along the way. After five years on the Track and Field and Cross Country Team at the University of Kentucky, I had quite a bit of training that prepared me to do just that.

My first attempt at this was in 2014 when I ran from Lexington to Frankfort (25.5 miles) for HB 8, a bill being considered to protect dating violence survivors in Kentucky. On March 6, 2014, “Josh’s Run to Frankfort” took place, running from the Fifth Third Pavilion to the steps of the capitol, raising nearly $5,000 along the way.

The second and third times I leveraged this ability was when I qualified for the Boston Marathon. I decided to dedicate each race to survivors of domestic violence, and created a campaign called Bluegrass to Boston for Survivors. In 2016 and in 2019 I asked friends and family to support me by making donations that would go to GreenHouse17, with the former raising $3,000 and the latter raising $2,215. Each time it was so incredible and moving to see so many people passionate about supporting survivors.   

Each one of us has at least one unique skill we can use to benefit others and help make the world a better place. Some of us can sing or draw, dance, play music, photograph the world, cook, or knit. I’m fortunate to be able to run and have been able to use that ability to try to rally support for survivors. I’m endlessly grateful that GreenHouse17 does the incredible work they do so that one day, no 5-year-old child will ever have to call 911 again to stop one parent from abusing the other. And because of GreenHouse17, I am certain we can accomplish this. 

*Images in front of the GreenHouse17 sign were taken by Ayna Lorenzo of Mothwing Photography

Advocates are always brainstorming ways to connect survivors to the community for healing activities.  

We have a longtime partnership with the Life Adventure Center in Versailles where survivors have taken many trips over the years. The Life Adventure Center uses outdoor adventure to transform lives affected by trauma. They’ve also hosted a lot of our staff retreats.

Advocate Madison Haven recently took a group of residents there for an equine therapy session. 

Passionate about nature and connecting with animals as a form of healing, she was excited to facilitate this experience alongside a group of residents who grew up with horses and missed having that kind of connection with an animal. 

One resident said she had a horse when she was a little girl and riding again made her feel happy and at peace for the first time in a while.

Madison reflected, “It was an incredible experience to be able to observe the horses’ behaviors. To be present while brushing them, get to ride them, and work as a team to corral the horses while respecting them. It was a good lesson of patience and persistence while remaining gentle and understanding of the horse and its own free will and boundaries similar to our own.” 

Commerce Lexington has awarded our organization the Salute to Small Business Nonprofit Impact Award.

Commerce Lexington’s annual Salute to Small Business presented by Forcht Bank recognizes the area’s best small businesses and one exceptional nonprofit organization. The Nonprofit Impact Award category honors services, fundraising, and inspiration to maximize output in the community.

“We are delighted and honored to receive this award,” says Darlene Thomas, Executive Director. “It’s especially meaningful to be recognized by Commerce Lexington because we operate a small business on our farm that surrounds the emergency shelter.”

This year’s week-long celebration of award winners culminates with the Salute to Small Business Awards Luncheon on Friday, August 26 at The Campbell House in Lexington.

About the Awards

Commerce Lexington began honoring the contributions of small businesses in 1986. To be eligible for the Salute to Small Business Awards, businesses must be active members of Commerce Lexington Inc. and have completed three or more years of operation in the local market with fewer than 150 employees.

Winners are selected for each of the four categories: Minority Business Award, Business Success Award, Entrepreneur Award, and Nonprofit Community Impact Award. Join us in celebrating the other category winners this year:

• VOLO Careers International, Minority Business Award, specializes in senior-level women recruitment across thirty industries, including aerospace and defense, higher education, and medical devices.
• Highbridge Springs Water, Business Success Award, bottles and delivers pure, limestone-filtered drinking water from a natural spring fed by an underground aquifer above the Kentucky River palisades next to High Bridge in Jessamine County.
• Astral, Entrepreneur Award, was founded in 2015 when Megan Brooks sought a solution for fitness studios to run a successful retail component of their business.

About Commerce Lexington

Commerce Lexington Inc. was formed in January 2004 with the merger of the Greater Lexington Chamber of Commerce, Lexington United, and the Lexington Partnership for Workforce Development to promote economic development, job creation, and overall business growth in Lexington and its neighboring communities.

The Summer Flower CSA launched this month! We’re so thankful for the members whose purchase of fresh-cut flowers from our farm supports survivors.  

We’re also very thankful for our amazing community partners. They share their space each week from June to September for Flower CSA member pickup!  

Third Street Stuff

Visit them for the atmosphere, coffee, locally baked goods, and lots of fun ‘stuff’ to buy. They also carry our Handmade by Survivors products around the holidays! 

Good Foods Co-op 

Good Foods Co-op is a locally owned and operated cooperative grocery and café with 9,000+ owners! They focus on local, natural, organic, and non-GMO products.  

Grassroots Pharmacy 

Grassroots Pharmacy is a new pickup location this year! It’s a locally owned, independent pharmacy that opened in March 2017. They also sell local and sustainable products and have a smoothie bar!  

Origin Hotel 

The lovely Origin Hotel is located at The Summit at Fritz Farm. 33 Staves restaurant is in the hotel and serves seasonally crafted menus for breakfast, brunch, and dinner! 

Smithtown Seafood 

Smithtown Seafood serves fresh, sustainably caught seafood, creative salads, burgers, and more! It’s located in the Bread Box and connected to West Sixth Brewery.