Shelter For Domestic Violence Victims Brings Comfort During Holiday Season

A Green Country shelter for victims of domestic violence is providing a safe place for women and their children to heal and form new holiday traditions.

The Spring is gifting families with hope and stability this Christmas.

"They just don't understand why people care for them because they've been told that they don't have value and they don't have worth and so they get to really see their worth I think for the first time when they have these Christmas experiences," said Leslie Clingenpeel, Executive Director of The Spring.

Amanda Harris said she could've easily let fear, loneliness, and despair take over, but she didn't. Harris tells me The Spring went out of its way to make sure she and her kids felt special every day of the year.

It's been 16 years since Amanda Harris escaped to The Spring. 

"I was basically homeless, broke, scared, didn't know what I was going to do," said Harris. 

Harris said she suffered from mental, emotional, and sometimes physical abuse for years.

Then in 2005, she stood outside The Spring, a young, single mom with 3 kids all under the age of 5.

Harris had no idea what she was walking into, but as the doors shut behind her an intake counselor greeted her with a warm smile.

"And immediately I knew everything was going to be okay. I knew this was going to be a changing point in my life," said Harris. 

 She said there were many nights she doubted her worth.

"Am I doing the right thing? Would my kids be better off with somebody else? Am I really made out for all this? Am I going to go through with this? You know, am I really all alone," said Harris?

She'll never forget waking up in her room on Christmas in 2005.

"As a mom, the worst thing you [don't] want to be is you know a horrible mom. You know and so you're lying in your room with 3 kids who are sleeping and knowing that I couldn't give them this," said Harris. 

Executive Director Leslie Clingenpeel said many of their clients spent past Christmases isolated and controlled by their abusers. Clingenpeel said they are mindful of what their guest might be experiencing cater the approach to each individual.

"It can be triggering for them. It can remind them of escalated violence. It can remind them of abuse. It can remind them of alcohol abuse. All those things that happen surrounding the holidays and they're not good memories," said Clingenpeel. 

Every winter the shelter is decorated, and kids create wish lists for Santa. The Spring has several donors that ensure these kids don't do without. Come December 25th, presents are spilling out of their stockings with gifts under the tree.

Kids stop by the pop-up shop to pick out gifts for their mom while moms get to wrap their children's gifts. 

"We have counselors on-site that are able to counsel with them through anything that they might be processing or remembering or going through, but we also like to bring new traditions to them and help them and their kids, the families that are here with them to form new good memories," said Clingenpeel.

"They could've been at home with their own families. They could've been doing you know their own traditions. Instead, they were there with us," said Harris.

Harris said it was so nice to be surrounded by people going through similar circumstances as her. 

In her 6 months living at The Spring, Harris said the shelter helped her get back on her feet, draw closer to God, grow courageous, and taught her to love herself while becoming the mom she'd so desperately wanted to be. 

Harris, now 39, is a college graduate, a business owner, and is happily married with 4 grown kids.

"Just don't give up. Your story is not over just because you're in a shelter. I mean it's your own life. You can write it," said Harris. 

Clingenpeel said folks are feeling very generous this time of year, which is great, but the need is year-round.

She said The Spring can always use financial support and donations like laundry detergent, toilet paper, diapers, and clothing. Clingenpeel said they need volunteers to help serve meals, help with birthday parties, and support them during events.