Here at Merryman House, we believe in a world where victims of violence do not remain hidden in the dark. We believe in a world where the needs of these survivors are openly addressed. We believe in a community-based system of support and encouragement system that meets the comprehensive advocacy and recovery needs required by these survivors to recover and live successful, empowered lives. This year, you showed us you believe in a vision of a world like that, too. One year ago, you helped us make our first step toward that vision become reality!
The Merryman House launched its first-ever capital campaign in 2016 with the goal of raising $3.7 million dollars to purchase 26 acres of land and expand to a 36-bed emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence and their children. We opened the doors to our new facility one year ago, December 20, 2017. Today we are 98% of the way through the campaign that began two years ago. What a journey!
Our work is not done!
This year’s success came because of you, and people like you, who stood up and said, “YES!” Because of those collaborative “YES’s” the following achievements have been made:
We’ve increased the size of our emergency shelter from 24 beds to 36 beds.
We have a dedicated, residential services building featuring on-site mental health services, housing stabilization services, comprehensive case-management services and much more.
We opened the Ray and Kay Eckstein Charitable Trust Outreach Center, where victims of domestic violence are able to access a plethora of services from immigration assistance to specialized services for those who are considered traditionally underserved (i.e., persons with disabilities, persons with limited English proficiency, elderly, etc.).
We opened the Paxton-Goodman Administration building featuring a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen where clients are provided three healthy meals a day as well as opportunities to participate in a variety of life-skills groups and wellness activities.
We’ve made our vision of creating a place where clients can receive integrated care a reality. Our campus shares its 26-acres campus with Mountain Comprehensive Care – an organization that provides substance abuse treatment services, including both inpatient and intensive outpatient treatment.
With the help of the Kentucky Bar Foundation, and in partnership with Legal Aid, we now offer “Legal Links.” This program offers an on-site attorney to assist with a host of legal issues faced by many survivors of domestic violence.
A full list of this year’s achievements can be reviewed in our annual report.
This campus is the first of its kind in the state of Kentucky. It’s more than a shelter: it’s a collaboration of community partners joining together to ensure the holistic needs of domestic abuse survivors are met. Once complete, this campus will serve as a model for how trauma-informed care is delivered to survivors of domestic violence throughout the state of Kentucky.
We are just beginning. Our view of what is possible is broader. We still need you: community leaders who possess a resolve to create environments that are safe for all.
Our ask on this one-year anniversary of our campus opening is this: please continue to support our mission to Save, Build and Change Lives. You’ve shown survivors of domestic violence “There’s a place for you!” We hope you will find your place in the Merryman Giving Society.
