Today's Woman December 2020

Lean INTO THE Holidays

DECEMBER 2020

Today’s Woman / December 2020

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The Next Chapter

This issue of Today’s Woman marks its 29th birthday...29 years of inspiring, informing, and encouraging women in our community, a mission we’ve never wavered from. We have lasting memories of stories shared, lives touched, women recognized, smiles enjoyed, organizations lifted up. Over these 29 years, we’ve featured more than 9,000 local women who are breaking barriers, overcoming odds, and making Kentuckiana a better place to live.

We’ve hosted events, attended and supported hundreds of nonprofit fundraisers, and partnered with organizations that shared our vision. It’s been an amazing ride.

Now it’s time to hand the reins of Today’s Woman over to the next person.

I have owned the magazine for nearly 25 years, during which time she has evolved into quite the sophisticated young woman.

The former newsprint, tabloid publication became a full-fledged glossy magazine in March 2000, the same month we presented our first awards program — HER Awards, Honoring Excellent Role Models. Over 700 attended that year at The Kentucky Center to see eight unsung heroes recognized. Three years later, we introduced the Most Admired Woman awards, voted on by our readers, recognizing high profile women in 12 categories, with more than 225 women lauded thus far in the annual June issue.

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Every year, we produce the colorful, hat-filled Derby issue, the Best Bodies issue to encourage movement and fitness, the Changing Louisville issue and the Gifts to the Community Awards to cheer improvements being made in our community.

The Way to Go Woman! awards, our new education awards, and our artisans nominations allow us to extend our deserved recognition.

Thirteen years ago, we added more family coverage with Today’s Family, which is now a dedicated section within Today’s Woman.

Distribution of Today’s Woman continues in all areas of Metro Louisville and Southern Indiana, because we strongly believe all women in our community should be encouraged and that good things are happening all over the city. Our informative website and social media digitally spread the inspiring feats of local women as well.

Are you the next Today’s Woman Publisher? Or do you know someone who would be excited to lead this print and digital magazine? If so, please complete the Request for Proposal (see page on right) or at todayswomannow.com/RFP by December 16.

Thanks for loving and supporting Today’s Woman,

Name________________________________________________________________________________________ Email________________________________________________________________________________________ We request that interested Address______________________________________________________________________________________parties complete a Request for Proposal (RFP) by ____________________________________________________________________________________________ December 16 detailing their reasons for wanting to Phone_______________________________________________________________________________________shepherd Today’s Woman to the next level. Any questions, Education____________________________________________________________________________________ send email to Cathy@ TodaysMediaNow.com.

Background/Past Employment___________________________________________________________________ List Your Social Media Accounts__________________________________________________________________

I believe I’m the best person to take over ownership of Today’s Woman because...

I believe the landscape for women in Kentuckiana is changing...

I have been involved in the following community organizations which I believe will help me in my outreach with Today’s Woman (list organizations, how you’ve been involved, and length of involvement).

Do you have the resources or access to the resources to ensure the continued financial viability of Today’s Woman?

Please explain.

Would you be interested in keeping the current structure of the business or how do you foresee changing it for 2021 and beyond?

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Today’s Woman / December 2020

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contents DECEMBER 2020

spotlights

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ENCOURAGE

6 Manifesto INFORM

2 The next chapter 8 Today’s Woman In The Now 40 Dealing with loneliness during the holidays

62 29 Things

Happenings, news, and tidbits that caught Today’s Woman’s eye this month

66 I confessed, and now my husband won’t stop being angry

46 INSPIRE

38 A new home 44 Illustrating a magical world

5 8 A gift for moms LIFESTYLE

46 Gift Guide 56 A scone for your holiday table 60 A 2020 Christmas: Still merry 8 Celebrations 6

features

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11 Gifts to Our Community Read more about sparkling organizations that are filling needs all over Metro Louisville.

• APRON (p. 12) • Decode Project (p. 14) • Louisville Ballet (p. 16) • MAYA Collection (p. 18) • Greatness Within (p. 20) • My Dog Eats First (p. 22) • SOS International (p. 26) • Racing Louisville FC (p. 28)

Read more stories online at TodaysWomanNow.com Plus sign up for our Enewsletter and weekly giveaways!

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• La Casita Center (p. 30) • Survivors’ Center (p. 32) • Louisville Grows (p. 34) • The Mustard Seed (p. 36)

Today’s Woman / December 2020

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DEC. 2020 | VOL. 31 | NO. 1

PUBLISHER Cathy S. Zion publisher@todaysmedianow.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Anita Oldham editor@todaysmedianow.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR Tiffany White tiffany@todaysmedianow.com

Today’s Woman Birthday Manifesto: 29 Years

We’ve Created Something Beautiful Today’s Woman is about celebrating the beauty of all women, cheering the courageous, encouraging the defeated, uplifting the nurturers, and fighting for a better tomorrow together in our community.

We provide a space to share stories about the workers, the dreamers, the survivors, the fighters, the leaders, the caregivers, the doers. The women.

Happy 29, Today’s Woman!

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR April Allman april@todaysmedianow.com DESIGN DIRECTOR Jill Cobb jill@todaysmedianow.com PHOTO DIRECTOR/PHOTOGRAPHER Melissa Donald melissa@todaysmedianow.com CAMPAIGN MANAGER Jessica Alyea jessica@todaysmedianow.com EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Lindsay McDonald lindsay@todaysmedianow.com OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Scheri Stewart Mullins scheri@todaysmedianow.com SENIOR MEDIA CONSULTANTS Susan Allen susan@todaysmedianow.com Teri Hickerson teri@todaysmedianow.com Joyce Inman joyce@todaysmedianow.com CIRCULATION MANAGER W. Earl Zion Today’s Woman is published monthly by: Zion Publications, LLC 9780 Ormsby Station Road, Suite 1400 Louisville, KY 40223 Phone: 502.327.8855 TodaysWomanNow.com TodaysMediaNow.com

ON THE COVER: Artist Erika Wiseman pictured herself (literally) at her holiday best, representing her full Christmas spirit. See more about how this talented artist is impacting the digital art scene and helping other aspiring artists on page 44.

Photo by Melissa Donald Makeup by Amber Himes, @AmberHimesBeauty Illustration by Erika Wiseman

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The opinions expressed herein are exclusively those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the position of the publisher. Today’s Woman magazine does not endorse or guarantee any advertiser’s product or service. Copyright 2020

by Zion Publications LLC, all rights reserved.

Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited without permission from Zion Publications LLC.

ADVERTISE: Call 502.327.8855 or email advertising@todaysmedianow.com.

REPRINTS: Call 502.327.8855 or email reprints@todaysmedianow.com.

SUBSCRIBE: Send $18 to the above address for 12 monthly issues.

Today’s Woman / December 2020

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I N T H E N OW inform

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inspire

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encourage

YOUR WORDS

What’s your favorite holiday tradition?

• Singing • Presents opened on Christmas Eve • Purchasing a new Hallmark ornament each year • We are a household of 2-3 and guests of family/friends. I bring Pumpkin Pie and Shrimp Cocktail. We are practicing safety this year and Thanksgiving dinner is courtesy of Goose Creek Diner. — Susan Allen • On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, my stepson, daughter-in-law, and two granddaughters decorate for the holidays.

We done goofy Christmas apparel and go out to dinner after we’re done. — Cathy Zion • For many years, we gathered at my aunt’s farm on the day after Thanksgiving. Some of the aunts and cousins would get up early to shop on Black Friday, but we’d all gather in the afternoon for a huge meal. Everyone brought something … dressing balls, jello salads, and so many desserts! My uncle would carve one or two turkeys to feed us all (usually 20-30 people). More recently, my more immediate family has gone to Churchill Downs and enjoyed the buffet at the Turf Club. This year, it will just be the four of us at home and we’ll call everyone to wish them a Happy Thanksgiving.

— Scheri Stewart Mullins • Normally for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, I host. This year, of course, is different. Something my son and I started many years ago, was going to PF Changs on the Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving for food that is far removed from what we will all be eating the next day. This year it will be take-out from there, but nonetheless, it will be a variation of that same tradition.

— Teri Hickerson

#TodaysWomanLove

Sweet and salty, Dark Chocolate Peppermint Pretzels are the perfect holiday treat! #Repost @RACHELSHEALTHYPLATE

What’s your favorite seasonal drink?

We love hearing from you! Watch our Instagram stories for a monthly question! Tag photos on Instagram with #TodaysWomanLove or #TodaysWomanShareIdeas to also be featured.

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• Hot Chocolate – voted most popular drink by our Instagram viewers!

• Peppermint Mocha • Eggnog Latte • White Chocolate Mocha

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Gifts Community TO THE

By Carrie Vittitoe

It has often been difficult to find the positives in a year like 2020, but our community is full of them, and if the year has taught us anything, it is that we work best when we work together in a shared vision and effort. These people bring their gifts of time, talent, or treasure to organizations to make positive changes in our community and the world.

PAGE 12 >>

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GI F TS TO O UR CO MMUNIT Y: APRO N, INC.

Photo by Emilie Nguyen

Granting Survivability to Restaurants

Dawn Bianconcini, a co-founder of APRON, says that taking care of our independent restaurants has never been more critical.

When APRON began in 2011, co-founders Dawn and Luca Bianconcini envisioned it as an organization that would help local independent restaurant workers when they encountered shortterm difficulties — like a broken arm — that would temporarily impact their ability to work. Never in a million years did they anticipate COVID-19 and its impact on the food service and tourism industries.

Over the years, APRON has provided grants to restaurant workers for things like broken bones but also for cancer treatments. APRON has helped workers when their restaurants flooded or had a fire or a roof collapse, and they weren’t able to work until those problems were resolved. With COVID-19, the needs of restaurants and their staffs are even greater. This year alone, APRON has given hundreds of thousands of dollars as part of nearly 700 grants.

Typically, APRON’s three largest fundraisers are A Taste of Independents, Dine Around, and the Maker’s Mark Distillery Tour,

but the pandemic has made it impossible to have those events safely. This year’s fundraiser, which is scheduled for the remainder of 2020 and into 2021, is Chef in a Box. Each week, a different chef from a local restaurant creates a signature dish for two to go. Of the $50 cost, half goes to APRON and half supports the restaurant. This unique outside-the-box concept has been hugely popular because so many beloved independent restaurants are participating. Dawn says local chefs are now competing to see which one can come up with the most interesting meals when it is their “Chef in a Box” week. “It’s been one of our most successful fundraisers,” she says, crediting Caroline Knop and Dan Dry for the idea.

Dawn says the local community has stepped up to try to help restaurant workers, which is especially critical since people aren’t traveling as much. “People come to our city to eat here and to drink bourbon. Taking care of our local independent restaurant folk is very important. It’s a part of our community,” she says.

“PEOPLE COME TO OUR CITY TO EAT HERE AND TO DRINK BOURBON. TAKING CARE OF OUR LOCAL INDEPENDENT RESTAURANT FOLK IS VERY IMPORTANT.” 12

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Today’s Woman / December 2020

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GI F TS TO O U R CO MMUNIT Y: DE CO DE PROJ E CT

A Path to Reading Literacy

Photos by Erika Doll

When LaToya Whitlock realized that most behavioral problems happened because of lack of reading skills, she and some colleagues started Decode Project.

Reading is complicated. If we could look into the brains of early readers and see the processes that happen when deriving meaning from letters, we’d be astounded. Not every child has the same access or exposure to words and books from infancy, and not every child’s parents can afford tutoring or testing to see where reading deficits may be occurring and remedy them.

As a counselor in a small local school, LaToya Whitlock began to see students referred to her for behavioral issues that weren’t really behavioral issues. “Most of them weren’t able to read, and they would avoid the classroom,” she says. Out of desperation, LaToya began using her time with students to teach them structured literacy and saw quick, positive results. When the school wasn’t ready to commit to the literacy program, LaToya and some of her colleagues decided to go on their own and create Decode Project.

Decode Project uses explicitly trained and paid mentors to help ensure children at risk of functional illiteracy get the help they need so they can read at grade level. The nonprofit has partnered with the University of Louisville’s

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honors program to find motivated college students who will become mentors. The 12 hours of training they receive includes not only structured literacy but also anti-racist, anti-bias, and resiliency instruction.

Before the pandemic, literacy mentors had been going into schools and after-school programs including the St. Vincent de Paul Learning Center, but they’ve had to switch to all online instruction.

“We’ve made a five-year transition in about five and a half months,” LaToya says. Decode Project now has an office in the Portland neighborhood where parents and caregivers can access the curriculum that literacy mentors use. While they won’t get the one-on-one instruction this way, LaToya and her team can walk them through the program and provide support.

“Our goal is to improve their reading score, but then also to have them feel like they belong in school and that they’re capable,” LaToya says.

There is always a waitlist of students, so every grant or donation Decode Project receives helps the nonprofit ensure students who need to improve their reading get the help they deserve.

“OUR GOAL IS TO IMPROVE THEIR READING SCORE, BUT THEN ALSO TO HAVE THEM FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG IN SCHOOL AND THAT THEY’RE CAPABLE.”

Photo by Melissa Donald

Heather Stewart and Marc with Kentucky Harvest receive a $15,000 grant from Kosair Charities President Keith Inman to support a food rescue and delivery program.

Kosair Charities

By Carrie Vittitoe | PROMOTION

I

it can be a challenge to feel hopeful.

The pandemic, job losses, online learning, and disruptions to everyone’s plans have made it difficult to keep our collective chins up. A light in the dimness, however, is Kosair Charities and the agencies it supports.

whose sole focus is to help kids do better and get better,” Kosair Charities President Keith Inman says. A recent Kosair Charities grant to Hardin Memorial Health Foundation will help bring a fully equipped neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to the area to help the tiniest of Kentucky’s residents.

Across Kentucky and in Southern Indiana, Kosair Charities provides financial resources to organizations and agencies that help children. “Since 1983, we’ve been a philanthropic organization that helps kids overcome obstacles and reach their full potential by supporting the agencies that help them. In any given year, we’ll support over 200 organizations

What it means to be a “child in need” has expanded over the years. While originally Kosair Charities was focused only on medically fragile children, the definition of need has broadened. Children in need can be those who live with poverty, learning disabilities, or food insecurity. With the challenges that 2020 has brought, there are more children in need than ever before.

n a year like 2020,

Sam Swope Centre Campus

(502) 637-7696 | Kosair.org

982 Eastern Parkway Louisville, KY 40217

The morale of Kosair Charities staff and their desire to help children in the community hasn’t wavered despite the year’s difficulties.

“Our staff brings excitement no matter where the workplace is. Every morning when we get out of bed, we try to figure out how we can help more kids,” Keith says.

As it works to help children, Kosair Charities strives to instill hope in the individuals and families it helps. “I hope they feel some enthusiasm that there’s somebody out there who is partnering with them,” Keith says.

“Kosair Charities is the safety net organization for the children of our community.”

To learn more about how you can help Kosair Kids this holiday season visit kosair.org/celebrate.

East Campus

9810 Bluegrass Parkway Louisville, KY 40229

Shelbyville Campus 512 Main Street Shelbyville, KY 40065

GI F TS TO O U R CO MMUNIT Y: LO UISVILLE B ALLE T

Transitioning on Their Toes

The Ballet Bound scholarship project has been able to provide one-year scholarships to 15 students, some of whom will receive ongoing scholarships.

The performing arts have been hit hard by the limits COVID-19 has put on public gatherings, but the Louisville Ballet has pivoted to utilize technology in myriad ways. Its season is now digital, but the dance films it is creating are not merely a recording of a performance. They are innovative and envision dance in a way that Louisville audiences haven’t seen locally. Kentucky! Vol I and The Nutcracker are two films that have been confirmed for the season.

Of course, performances are just one part of what Louisville Ballet does.

Stacey Blakeman, director of community engagement, says the Louisville Ballet School moved to virtual classes in the spring but reopened to inperson classes in August with strict safety measures. With so many children doing online district education, “having this outlet for a place to go and something to do that is safe has been really important to a lot of our school families,” Stacey says. Families who don’t feel comfortable with in-person classes are still able to have virtual ones.

“HAVING THIS OUTLET One of the things that Louisville Ballet is extremely proud of is its Ballet Bound FOR A PLACE TO GO AND scholarship program. While the Ballet SOMETHING TO DO THAT has long been committed to improving access to ballet, this year it has been able IS SAFE HAS BEEN REALLY to provide one-year scholarships to 15 students identified through its outreach IMPORTANT TO A LOT OF programs. At the end of each school year, OUR SCHOOL FAMILIES.” between three and five Ballet Bound students will be awarded a continuing scholarship provided they are meeting goals and mastering skills, and 15 new students will join the Ballet Bound program. By 2025, Louisville Ballet would like to have 12 students who will have graduated from high school and ballet school and be ready to begin a career with Louisville Ballet.

Photos submitted

Finally, Louisville Ballet is continuing its outreach to students throughout the community, whether they are doing non-traditional instruction (NTI) or are in-person. Stacey and her colleagues have created electronic books and in-home videos that can be used by teachers or families at home. “We’re so grateful to be able to be busy,” she says. “The fact that we are surviving and still serving our community and producing work is an amazing thing.”

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GI F TS TO O U R CO MMUNIT Y: MAYA CO LLE CT IO N

Creating a Better Life

MAYA Collection was started by Karen Aroh 11 years ago but they just became an official nonprofit that helps refugee women learn skills, sell wares, and grow a support network.

Photos by Erika Doll

WHILE REFUGEE WOMEN HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LEARN SKILLS AND SELL WARES, THEY HAVE ALSO BENEFITED FROM THE FRIENDSHIPS.

MAYA Collection has been around since 2009, but it wasn’t until 2020 that it became an “official” nonprofit. In its early days, it was just an idea that Karen Aroh had to help Nepali women who had come to south Louisville as refugees. Many of the women’s husbands were struggling to find work given that the financial crisis of 2008 was still fresh. These women also simply wanted to make friends. “I said, ‘Let’s start a business.’ I had no idea what I was talking about,” she says. It took a long time to build the social enterprise.

In its earliest days, a core group of 15 women got together to knit and began creating items to sell. Karen says over time, the women who have become part of MAYA Collection have learned all kinds of other skills, from leatherwork to jewelry-making to the soft sales skills needed to sell items at craft fairs. Karen says one of the biggest benefits to the women in MAYA Collection is that it builds their self-confidence.

The nonprofit is primarily volunteer-run, although it did hire its first employee in early 2020. Its interns have been the creative force

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behind how MAYA Collection has adapted, given that COVID-19 canceled all craft fairs where the women might have sold their handcrafted goods.

While refugee women have been able to learn skills and sell wares, they have also benefited from the friendships they have made and the help they have received from the volunteers. “Our goal is to support and love each of our artisans holistically. This includes mentoring them and attending baby showers, birthday parties, helping with school issues, and helping find jobs for their husbands,” Karen says.

The majority of the women in MAYA Collection are Nepali, but women of any ethnicity are welcomed. Women from Africa, Iraq, and Myanmar have also become artisans. While the artisans haven’t been able to meet as often or in as large a group due to COVID-19, they continue to make their home at Hope Place on Southside Drive.

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GI F TS TO O U R CO MMUNIT Y: G R EAT NESS WIT H IN

Inspiring Greatness

For some people, the place where they grow up imprints itself on them and always feels like home. Lavinia Hawkins, Ph.D., holds West Louisville close to her heart in everything she does. She was born and raised there by parents who took education seriously. That focus combined with a commitment to improving educational opportunities for West Louisville kids led to the creation of the book, Greatness Within, which Lavinia co-wrote with her husband, Daniel, the athletic director at West End School.

Photo by Melissa Donald

Lavinia and Daniel wrote the book in spring 2020 while quarantining. They thought about the important role that mentors had in both of their lives. “For both of us, mentoring and helping youth is so important. It’s how both of us were able to get to where we are now,” she says. “We wouldn’t be who we are without it.” Both of them recognized the severe impact the pandemic would have on children living in the West End because school, athletics, and community centers were shut down.

They were looking to inspire children and help families.

Lavinia Hawkins, Ph.D. and her husband David co-wrote Greatness Within to inspire children and their families.

“FOR US BOTH, MENTORING AND HELPING YOUTH IS SO IMPORTANT. IT’S HOW BOTH OF US WERE ABLE TO GET TO WHERE WE ARE NOW.” 20

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Of course, no one imagined that we’d still be dealing with COVID-19 this many months later, which means the couple hasn’t been able to promote the book as they might otherwise have done. Lavinia would love to get the book into students’ hands at the middle and high school levels in urban schools. A personal goal for Lavinia, who recently completed her doctorate in curriculum and instruction, is to “improve education for youth from marginalized backgrounds.” She is concerned about not only the long-term impact of COVID-19 on these students but the impacts of social injustice that have come to a head this year.

Lavinia doesn’t have all the answers, but she knows that things have to improve in education. “There are too many kids, particularly from urban communities, who aren’t as successful as kids from other areas. I advocate for quality education, [but] I don’t know what that’s going to have to look like,” she says. “It needs to look like some success for each individual child.”

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GI F TS TO O U R CO MMUNIT Y: MY DO G E ATS FIRST

Photo by Patti Hartog

Pet Food Bank

Betheny Buster started My Dog Eats First pet food bank to help homeless pet owners.

Betheny Buster had long been a pet lover and owner of Paws Pet Care when a conversation in 2013 led her to establish My Dog Eats First. While eating at a restaurant in the Highlands, she and her son noticed a homeless man and bought him something to eat. The man ensured his dog took a bite before he did, an act that touched Betheny’s heart and led her to do research on homelessness in Louisville.

“Through that research I came in contact with The Forgotten Louisville. I started volunteering, threw some dog and cat food into the back of my car, and had no idea what I was going to encounter,” Betheny says. While she saw plenty of organizations taking care of homeless people, she recognized a need to care for pets. She saw animals with skin and ear conditions as a result of “living out” and knew the animals needed to get their vaccinations. Over time, she also saw a need for housed individuals who, due to financial hardships, couldn’t provide the food their animals needed.

My Dog Eats First has a pet food bank in West Louisville that, prior to COVID-19, operated twice

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a month for the underserved. Due to the virus and the small size of the space, the organization has had to temporarily suspend its food bank operations. However, it is still meeting the needs of housed pet owners on an individual basis by responding to texts and phone calls.

Betheny and her team continue to help homeless pet owners by providing food and offering veterinary care to animals since they are outside and able to wear masks and social distance. “We are out meeting needs in some capacity every day,” she says. Recently, My Dog Eats First has tried to help deal with a parvo outbreak in a homeless camp.

“It’s really a beautiful thing to see a homeless individual care so much for a companion animal and that companion animal give that unconditional love and affection back to them,” she says. “Money or the lack thereof doesn’t dictate whether a person should have or feel love. That’s what a companion animal gives to a homeless individual.”

“IT’S REALLY A BEAUTIFUL THING TO SEE A HOMELESS INDIVIDUAL CARE SO MUCH FOR A COMPANION ANIMAL...”

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ABOVE: Hosparus Health staffers Susan Norsworthy, Sky Yeasayer and Sylvia Johnson (standing) sort through items donated during COVID-19 for our Inpatient Care Center.

AT RIGHT: Before the pandemic, Billy Zapp, one of Hosparus Health’s pet therapy volunteers, and his Alaskan Malamute companion, Major, enjoy visiting patients in nursing homes.

Hosparus Health

By Carrie Vittitoe | PROMOTION

CREATING MORE MOMENTS FOR FAMILIES

T

he foundation of Hosparus Health is rooted in giving. “From our CEO on down, you’ll

find that everyone is committed to taking care of families; it’s very mission-centered. We all approach this work with much gratitude to be able to serve,” Vice President of Development Tawanda Owsley says.

Most people recognize Hosparus Health as the premiere provider of hospice services for those nearing the end of life regardless of the individual’s ability to pay. By taking on the role of caregivers and managing medications, symptoms, and appointments, Hosparus Health provides families and friends the gift of precious moments spent laughing, sharing stories, or just sitting quietly together. With Hosparus’ help, families have the ability to go back to being spouses, parents, and siblings of their terminally ill loved ones. The end of life journey is a heavy weight for families; Hosparus Health tries to minimize the stress as much as possible.

events postponed or canceled. “Our community is facing loss in so many different ways, and we want to be there to support them,” Tawanda says. “The community collectively is grieving our sense of normalcy.” Hosparus Health wants to ensure it can help support individuals as we all continue to make our way through this public health crisis.

In order to maintain these services and meet the community’s needs, Hosparus Health has launched its $24 million People of Compassion campaign. This campaign celebrates not only donors who commit to the campaign but the many caregivers who regularly go above and beyond the call of duty. If 2020’s COVID-19 pandemic has shown the community anything, it is that caregivers sacrifice in ways we’ve never fully appreciated before.

With these funds, Hosparus Health has many goals, including renovating its corporate headquarters to include a grief counseling space and expanding all of its services, especially in light of the rapidly aging population. “We anticipate that about 10,000 people will turn 65 every day,” Tawanda says. “Our services continue to grow and the need for care continues to grow.” The palliative and hospice needs of the aging population will grow significantly over the next decade, and Hosparus Health wants to ensure it can meet those needs over the long-term.

“OUR COMMUNITY IS FACING LOSS IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, AND WE WANT TO BE THERE TO SUPPORT THEM.”

Hosparus Health also provides palliative care for people of all ages who have advanced or chronic illnesses such as advanced diabetes, chronic kidney conditions, microcephaly, or Parkinson’s disease. “We are the only place in the region that takes care of fragile children through our Kourageous Kids program,” Tawanda says. In 2019, Hosparus Health served 8,800 patients in 41 counties in Kentucky and Southern Indiana.

In addition to these services, Hosparus Health also has a grief counseling center that provides support services not only to families who have utilized hospice services but to any person in the community who has experienced loss. Loss has been a big part of everyone’s life this year. Some families have lost loved ones to cancer or other chronic diseases and not been able to be with them at the hospital due to pandemic precautions. Many families haven’t been able to gather for traditional funerals this year. Some families have lost loved ones to COVID-19. Everyone has lost the ability to live their lives in a way that we recognize as normal with

With the aging population in mind, Hosparus Health is paying very close attention to some of the most common serious illnesses. “As part of the campaign, we are looking at providing more support for seriously ill patients,” Tawanda says, specifically those that have heart disease, lung disease, and dementia. While its services reach south to Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, and Campbellsville in Kentucky and up to Jasper, Indiana, in the north, Hosparus Health is committed to reaching even more families who could benefit from its compassionate care. “Everyone should have access to comfort and experience the end of life with dignity. We should be able to support families as they’re dealing with loved ones with a serious illness,” she says.

3532 Ephraim McDowell Dr. | Louisville, KY 40205

(800) 264-0521 | HosparusHealth.org

GI F TS TO O U R CO MMUNIT Y: S OS INT E RNAT IO NAL

Moving Resources

Denise Sears works to move unused medical supplies to where they are needed as part of SOS International.

Since 1993, SOS International has been collecting, sorting, and distributing extra medical supplies from hospitals to developing countries to help doctors and nurses provide care. To walk through SOS’ warehouse is to see 12-foot-tall pallets of supplies that will go thousands of miles away, to anywhere from Zimbabwe to Mauritania to Nigeria. Half a million pounds of medical supplies are kept out of landfills each year through the work that SOS does.

Photos by Patti Hartog

SOS collects surplus medical supplies from over 100 hospitals in Kentucky and surrounding states. Doctors who retire often donate unused supplies and even office equipment to SOS, which SOS then uses to help clinics ramp up. SOS is one of the few accredited organizations that can test, recover, and distribute medical equipment and has a team of biomedical engineers that check each piece that comes through. While expired medical supplies cannot be used to provide health care, these supplies can be used by local high school and nursing school students as they learn the field. With JCPS doing non-traditional instruction (NTI) this fall during the pandemic, SOS has supplied kits for students so they can have hands-on experiences even when they aren’t in the classroom.

HALF A MILLION POUNDS OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES ARE KEPT OUT OF LANDFILLS EACH YEAR THROUGH THE WORK THAT SOS DOES.

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President and CEO Denise Sears has a personal mission to help keep individuals healthy: her daughter, Lauren, entered the hospital for a minor issue but contracted MRSA and died in 2012. “She was my reason for getting up and breathing,” Denise says. “I was very passionate about preventing other parents from losing a child.”

While SOS has long acted globally, it became apparent in recent years — and especially during COVID-19 — that SOS had the ability to act locally. When personal protective equipment (PPE) was difficult to find in the spring of 2020, SOS was able to distribute much-needed supplies to local hospitals, fire and police departments, and senior living communities. SOS donated over a million dollars worth of product early on during the pandemic. “When we see an opportunity to enhance health, even if it’s slightly outside the immediate scope of what we do, I’m going to find the resources to make it happen,” Denise says.

Today’s Woman / December 2020

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GI F TS TO O U R CO MMUNIT Y: RACING LO UISVILLE FC

A Woman’s League of Our Own

Photos by EM Dash Photography

The women’s soccer team Racing Louisville FC will start playing in 2021 at the Lynn Family Stadium.

A women’s soccer league was always part of the strategic vision for Louisville City FC, but it wasn’t until fall 2019 that the synergy was there to support it. The men’s league and fan base had grown, and Lynn Family Stadium had been built. “We knew having a women’s team would be a logical step,” says Louisville City FC President Brad Estes. The organization has always wanted to have people in the community playing soccer in as many ways as possible.

While some businesses have cut back or closed as a result of COVID-19, Louisville City FC has moved ahead with the creation of Racing Louisville FC, a National Women’s Soccer League expansion team, as well as the training grounds project, a $15 million investment in a 25-acre site on River Road that includes four artificial turf fields for youth soccer and bermuda grass fields for the men’s and women’s teams.

This year has also seen the rollout of the youth program, which includes a Louisville City Academy and a Racing Louisville Academy. There are 44 teams total, 22 for boys and 22 for girls, for children ages 7-19. The organization has also been focused on providing scholarships to disadvantaged students who want to play soccer but don’t have funds or easy access. “We’ve committed $150,000 in scholarships,” Brad says. “If you want to play for us, we’ll make it happen.”

In terms of future goals, being competitive for league championships and winning are critical, but so is empowering women and minorities. “We’re making strides hopefully from a social justice perspective. We want to empower women and people of color. That’s an important part of what we’re doing as we try to improve our community,” Brad says.

BEING COMPETITIVE FOR LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS AND WINNING ARE CRITICAL, BUT SO IS EMPOWERING WOMEN AND MINORITIES. 28

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Photo by Melissa Donald

L to R: Chase, Owner; Ryan, Cabinet Technician; Terral, Cabinet Technician; Corey, Director of Operations; and Janet, Design Consultant.

Kitchen Tune-Up

By Carrie Vittitoe | PROMOTION

A

renovation is a gift that individuals, couples, or families give to themselves; it’s a gift that will last for years, add value to the home, and bring style and freshness to each day. Owner Chase Vincent and his staff give their clients craftsmanship, attention to detail and regular communication when Kitchen Tune-Up is hired to oversee that renovation. “We not only do what we say, but we also stay in communication with customers each step of the way and always have their best interests in mind,” he says.

Chase and his wife, Elizabeth, purchased the Kitchen Tune-Up franchise in the

summer of 2019 and have worked to establish it as a company that can be trusted. They know that clients value the money they invest in a renovation project as well as time, which is why Kitchen Tune-Up strives to get jobs done as quickly as possible and with the greatest attention to detail and excellence. “All of the employees treat the kitchen as ‘their kitchen.’ This is not just a job; [I tell them] ‘this is your kitchen so do it the way you’d want it to be done,’” he says.

A tightly-knit staff who respects and encourages each other is key to ensuring clients receive the highest quality experience. “We are a small business, and all employees are treated much like family,” Chase says.

Providing clients with high-quality and affordable renovations is important to Kitchen Tune-Up, but so is giving back to the community. Elizabeth is a speech therapist and has many patients who are part of the Down Syndrome of Louisville family. In August of 2020, “we had the opportunity to provide a brand new kitchenette for Down Syndrome of Louisville for their new adult room as well as new cabinets in their volunteer room,” Chase says. To maintain the nonprofit’s daily operations without disruption, Chase and his staff came in on a Saturday to complete the work, which added tons of much-needed storage space that was greatly appreciated by Down Syndrome of Louisville staff and their community members.

Design Center Open by Appointment 10900 Plantside Drive, Suite C | Louisville, KY 40299

(502) 836-3322 | KitchenTuneUp.com/Louisville-Ky-East

GI F TS TO O U R CO MMUNIT Y: LA CAS ITA CE NT E R

Supporting the Latinx Community

La Casita Center works with local businesses to provide essential resources for the Latinx community.

Photos submitted

What services does La Casita Center provide? The short answer is: everything. “You name it, we do it,” says Executive Director Karina Barillas. With a holistic approach to caring for members of the Latinx community, those services can mean providing meals and food to individuals who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or helping a mother advocate for her special needs child through translation at a telehealth appointment. The organization also hosts a diaper bank, a food pantry, and a give-and-take closet. La Casita’s 19 staff members speak four different languages — English, Spanish, and two indigenous Guatemalan languages, Mam and K’iche. Last year alone, La Casita provided 46,000 services to nearly 5,000 individuals.

LAST YEAR ALONE, LA CASITA PROVIDED 46,000 SERVICES TO NEARLY 5,000 INDIVIDUALS.

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The organization, which began in 2000 but didn’t become an official nonprofit until 2005, has developed numerous partnerships in Louisville for the benefit of the Latinx community. La Casita has worked in conjunction with JCPS to try to help young Latinx children prepare for school; its video series on Facebook, La Escualita, is geared toward children ages three to five to help them be ready for kindergarten. La Casita is also working to help parents manage non-traditional instruction (NTI) during the pandemic. “The digital divide is real,” Karina says. Some Latinx parents new to the United States do not speak or write Spanish, which makes helping their children learn English and complete online school a Herculean task.

While La Casita strives to support any person in need, it has a special focus on supporting women in the community, whether they are experiencing racial injustice, poverty, homophobia, or abuse. “I would like all of us to recognize that when women are in solidarity with each other, the community will be stronger,” she says.

omen In NON-PROFITS

By Barbara Myerson Katz Photo Submitted PROMOTION

“[These seniors] have lived through famines, world wars, and depressions, so they are able to keep things in perspective in a wonderful way...”

meet Mary Haynes

President and CEO Nazareth Homes

F

or Mary Haynes, the challenges and rewards of heading a long-term care facility have come together in a poignant way during the COVID-19 pandemic. As president and CEO of Louisville’s Nazareth Home, she has had to oversee keeping resident elders on two Louisville campuses physically distant from their loved ones and the world in general, while maintaining virtual connections. At the same time, Mary says, she has basked in the grace with which residents are approaching the crisis.

“They’ve given me a lot of advice,” she says. “These are people who have lived through famines, world wars, and depressions, so they are able to keep things in perspective in a wonderful way that takes some of the urgency out of today’s world. And that’s a beautiful thing to experience.”

Mary received a nursing degree from Spalding University and worked in mental health at what is now Peace Hospital, rising to become its Vice President for Nursing. Other stints in mental health nursing followed, and she helped establish Kentucky’s first free-standing care center for Alzheimer’s patients in Owensboro.

After directing long-term care at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Mary returned to Louisville and Nazareth Home 18 years ago. Nazareth Home, like the first incarnations of Spalding and Peace Hospital, was founded by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. “Partnerships are part of all health care organizations,” she says, “but particularly in long-term care, community partnerships are key.”

Mary says people are the highlights of her job – elder residents who share their life experiences, family members with whom she and her staff maintain full, open communication even in these challenging times, and her team of caregivers. “I’m very proud to represent a workforce that is predominantly hardworking women who have a lot of challenges and get up every day to make somebody else’s day,” she says. While it’s not always easy to advocate for long-term care from a public policy standpoint, Mary says, she helps others to recognize that it’s life-affirming. “Long-term care is really about the elders and their adult children,” Mary notes, “and how all of that comes together in a beautiful, sacred way.”

HIGHLANDS | 2000 Newburg Rd | Louisville, KY | 502.459.9681 CLIFTON | 2120 Payne St | Louisville, KY | 502.895.9425 nazhome.org

GI F TS TO O U R CO MMUNIT Y: S URVIVO RS ’ CO RNE R

Turning Trauma Into Purpose

Photos by Erika Doll

Survivor’s Corner helps anyone who has experienced any form of trauma. Donna Pollard started this organization after she herself began sharing her personal experiences.

Donna Pollard created Survivors’ Corner in 2017 after beginning to speak of her own experience as a person who was abused as a child and then became a child bride. “Everything I’d gone through was preparing me to be able to give back to the community and reframe trauma into purpose, so that other people would never have to experience that level of abuse through legal loopholes,” she says.

Initially, she facilitated support meetings, which then led to an affiliation with the University of Louisville’s Kent School of Social Work that helped her put together additional support groups and workshops.

“It took off from there,” she says. Survivors’ Corner continues to build partnerships with other agencies and organizations. “We’re part of the Community Advisory to the Trauma Resilient Community grant that the city was awarded,” she says.

Survivors’ Corner helps individuals who have experienced any and all kinds of trauma. Many people who attend support groups and workshops are adult survivors of child abuse who have then experienced trauma from human trafficking or sexual assault. Peer mentorship opportunities are

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critical for trauma survivors as they work through their own recovery. “A big part of the healing journey and self accountability is being able to become a peer mentor and leader to others,” she says. “We help survivors change the narrative around what a victim looks like.”

In addition to workshops, yoga classes, and support groups, Survivors’ Corner is focused on legislation both in the state and across the nation. Some legislation is aimed at ending child marriage, while other work is aimed at the statutes of limitations for child sexual abuse cases.

One of Donna’s goals is to strengthen the approaches to young people who have been abused or are in juvenile detention. “Our vision is to have all professions that are handling these cases speaking the same trauma-informed language,” she says. “We want to minimize additional harm to the child once they are in the system.” As an individual who has not only survived childhood trauma but thrived beyond it, she knows the importance of giving survivors an opportunity to heal with the support of others who have gone through similar experiences.

SURVIVORS’ CORNER HELPS INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED ANY AND ALL KINDS OF TRAUMA.

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GI F TS TO O U R CO MMUNIT Y: LO UISVILLE G ROWS

Making Louisville Green

Photos submitted

Louisville Grows is looking to expand the tree canopy to healthy levels by planting 1000 trees each year.

While planting 1,000 trees each year in south and west Jefferson County sounds like a lot of work (and is), it is just a drop in the bucket of what Louisville needs for its tree canopy and community to be healthy. According to Lisa Dettlinger, program director at Louisville Grows, Louisville loses around 50,000 trees from its canopy each year, which means there is a constant need to replace and restore what has been lost. “You want a tree canopy of about 40-50 percent. Most of the neighborhoods we work in, the tree canopy on the average is 16-19 percent,” Lisa says.

Louisville Grows is a unique nonprofit in that it plants trees in residential areas to make an immediate impact on the lives of people who live at the residence. A canopy really makes a difference in terms of energy costs since a shaded house is a cooler house in the heat of summer. Trees on residential lots filter the air of pollutants and slow down water going into storm drains.

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The trees that Louisville Grows plants are native species that can weigh between 50-250 pounds; they are not dinky little saplings.

“When you are planting trees the size we do, to buy a tree at the nursery and have it planted, we’re talking on average $500. When you are living at the poverty level in an underserved neighborhood, you’re not ever going to think about putting that into a tree,” she says. “That is our gift to the community; we are trying our best to restore the urban tree canopy to improve the quality of lives for these residents.”

In addition to trees, Louisville Grows also helps develop community gardens. Its urban agriculture program sells seeds and plant starts each year to local gardeners as a fundraiser, with the money being used for community garden project grants. Despite 2020 impacting the number of volunteers who could help get seeds and starts ready, Lisa and her colleagues sold 27,000 plants through a curbside service. “We had our largest sale ever this year and made over $32,000,” she says.

“...WE ARE TRYING OUR BEST TO RESTORE THE URBAN TREE CANOPY TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIVES...”

By Barbara Myerson Katz Photo by Melissa Donald PROMOTION

meet Serena Haming

Director, Live a Dream Trilogy Health Services, LLC

omen In NON-PROFITS

S

erena Haming says she’s an out-of-the-box thinker.

As a Presentation Academy student, she studied for five months in Australia. As a business marketing major at the University of Louisville, she helped start the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. “I feel like I’ve always been surrounded by a lot of strong women that have pushed me to try something new,” she says.

So in the fall of her college senior year as she wrapped up an internship at the Trilogy Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Trilogy Health Services, which runs senior living and longterm care facilities in four states, she told Chief Engagement and Innovations Officer Todd Schmiedeler that her dream job was to work, not with seniors, but with Make-a-Wish, the international foundation that grants the wishes of critically ill children. Todd responded with a challenge: Trilogy had a similar program for seniors — Live a Dream (LiveADream.org) — that had been fledgling. Would Serena take a crack at reviving Live a Dream, helping seniors fulfill bucket list wishes?

She signed on, and one of her first challenges was to arrange a hot air balloon ride for a woman named Donna, who was confined to a wheelchair — no easy task. But Serena found a pilot with an accessible basket, worked around Donna’s dialysis appointments, unpredictable late fall weather, and Donna’s husband, whose fear of heights almost prevented him from accompanying her. And at the crack of dawn on a chilly morning, Donna finally got to soar above the Indiana treetops. When she landed, Serena recalls, Donna cried with joy and said she felt at peace, no longer afraid. Donna passed away a few weeks later, and, Serena says, she realized, “I have to do this forever. I don’t know what this job entails, but this has to be repeated.”

Now Serena has fulfilled wishes big and small — honor flights of World War II veterans to Washington, DC, a University of Kentucky basketball practice for a man who had played for the team more than 70 years ago, ziplining adventures, and a KISS concert for a longtime fan that included meeting the band.

COVID-19 has again allowed Serena to use her out of the box thinking to create a virtual choir and pen pal programs.

Seniors learn their wishes are to be fulfilled in “dream reveals.” “That moment for me is pure joy,” Serena says.

“This older generation is super humble. They’re never really expecting something to be for them. They’ve just given back their whole lives.”

“I have to do this forever. I don’t know what this job entails, but this has to be repeated.”

With Trilogy’s support, Serena is halfway toward receiving an MBA from Purdue Global. Making such an impact on seniors’ lives, Serena wants to continue to grow Live a Dream — with a national focus — out of the box, and beyond.

303 N Hurstbourne Pkwy Ste 200 | Louisville, KY 40222 | 502.907.1180 | trilogyhs.com

GI F TS TO O U R CO MMUNIT Y: T H E MUSTARD S E E D

Recycling Hope

Ginny Weigleb knew about thrift stores so she started one that helps support SOAR, a nonprofit for survivors of childhood abuse.

When an individual has been helped by an organization, the desire to give back is often overwhelming. For Ginny Weigleb, the help she received from Survivors of Abuse Restored (SOAR), which supports women survivors of childhood sexual abuse, led her to create The Mustard Seed, a nonprofit thrift store with two locations in Southern Indiana: Floyds Knobs and Sellersburg.

Ginny had nearly 20 years experience in the thrift industry, so she brought a knowledge base and skillset to the venture, but she says the people who supported her and joined her mission, which is in its fifth year, were critical to its success.

“God just sent the exact right people at the exact right time to get this thing off the ground,” she says.

Photos by Patti Hartog

In addition to providing funds for SOAR, Mustard Seed provides a safe space for survivors. “We don’t have services that are in-house; we don’t provide counseling, but we have to train [staff on] how to talk to a survivor and provide printed material,” she says. Ginny and her staff and volunteers try to provide individuals who have suffered abuse the resources they need to achieve healing. Women who have experienced childhood sexual abuse have paid a huge price, and the costs of treatment for them to deal with their trauma can be a prohibitive barrier to healing.

When it comes to the future, Ginny says she is open to utilizing the spaces where the current shops are now to further support survivors. “The building we just moved over to in Floyds Knobs will have an ability to have an event space,” she says. She envisions using the space to further educate individuals and small groups about sexual abuse and the importance of changing the narrative around what it means to be a victim and soar beyond that.

GINNY AND HER STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS TRY TO PROVIDE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE SUFFERED ABUSE THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO ACHIEVE HEALING. 36

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A New Home

“My mom has been having this dream...”

By Carrie Vittitoe

Photo by Emilie Nguyen

Tracilla Dobbins in front of her new Habitat house build. “If you have your own [house], at a certain point you don’t have to continue to pay, not only for me but for my baby and then for generations on.

It’s always a place to call home.”

S

ome gifts are easily forgotten, while others are so special they provide delight for many years. The gift that Habitat for Humanity Louisville provides is not only bestowed by the many people who donate to the organization or help build affordable houses. The gift is something homebuyers give themselves — the education, hard work, and empowerment they receive during the Habitat process that inspire everyone who knows them.

Sherita Smith and her three children moved into their Habitat home in the Russell neighborhood in 2017. “When I was renting, I was paying so much in rent,” she says, which was part of the reason she looked into becoming a Habitat homebuyer. Plus, she wanted a house for her children to grow up in. She also knew having a house would help her build on her credit.

While attaining her sweat equity hours, Sherita says she learned so much about taking care of a home. “In the class, it was so great. We learned how to fix things. They taught us how

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to purchase old furniture and fix it up. We learned how to use putty and put down floors,” she says.

Sherita’s son, Tyree, was excited about the prospect of getting a house as well. “We’re living in a better environment and newer home,” he says. “My mom has been having this dream for a couple years. It’s inspired me to set my own goals and try to accomplish them. She proved her goal, so she taught me I should have goals in my life.”

While most new homeowners might feel overwhelmed, Sherita says she didn’t feel intimidated or nervous. “We got so prepared for everything at Habitat; I knew what to expect,” she says. “My mindset was, ‘I’m gonna get in this program and put my best foot forward.’ I was glad I have a good job because my job worked with me on my hours [to fulfill her sweat equity hours].” The only thing that threw her off a little was receiving two sewer bills after she purchased the lot next door to her home to increase her acreage.

Photos submitted

l Showing the volunteers working on the Habitat home for Sherita Smith and her three children in the Russell neighborhood a few years ago.

k Sherita Smith with a long-time volunteer.

Volunteers help build houses, as well as help mentor and teach finance and homeownership skills. Volunteer by contacting louisvillehabitat.org

Like Sherita, Tracilla Dobbins has seen the empowerment aspect of Habitat firsthand. Her cousin had a house built with Habitat’s assistance, and she helped work on it, so she had an idea of what was involved in the process. She has put equity hours into building another Habitat house.

She gave birth to a baby girl in early October, so she was limited in what she could do.

Tracilla says learning about budgeting has been especially helpful for her. “When it comes to my finances, [Habitat] has really helped me look at it differently,” she says. While she has always put money into savings, the classes have helped her see exactly where she spends. “It has shown me where the money goes, the extra money that I spend. It has me on a budget,” she says.

Buying her own home makes her a little nervous, but Tracilla knows the value of home ownership is not just for herself alone. “I’ve always been the type of person that doesn’t want to rent forever. If you have your own [house], at a certain point you don’t have to continue to pay, not only for me but for my baby and then for generations on. It’s good for my family when I’m not here. It’s always a place to call home,” she says.

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Dealing With Loneliness During The Holidays

By Tonilyn Hornung

D

ecking the halls this holiday season may look a little different. Holiday dinners are being moved outside by the fire pit to keep social distancing more efficient, plans are being canceled to keep older family members safe. This buck in traditions can lead to strong feelings of loneliness.

“We are wired to be connected — to have people to hug, or talk to, or witness our lives,” says Sally Connolly, a licensed marriage and family therapist and owner of Couples Counseling of Louisville. With this predisposed need within us, missing out on gatherings with families or that annual holiday shopping trip with friends can trigger a more noticeable sense of loneliness.

Nicole Sartini-Cprek, clinical director, therapist, and co-founder of Bridge Counseling and Wellness, says, “Our brains are patternrecognizing machines. We feel a sense of safety when we recognize familiar routines or familiar traditions. Seeing those patterns change can cause an internal sense of anxiety for a lot of people.”

With our holiday routines being thrown off and not seeing those we care about, this level of change can be unnerving. “There’s no doubt that the pandemic is bringing this feeling out for a lot of people,” Nicole says.

If you have sensations of emptiness that become too intense or “are interrupting your ability to perform your responsibilities, then that’s something that needs to be addressed,” Nicole says. If you find yourself slipping in and out of these feelings throughout the day or week but can still function as usual, these are generally feelings that can be navigated.

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HERE ARE SOME TOOLS AND ACTIVITIES TO HELP YOU NAVIGATE FEELINGS OF LONELINESS: • Shift your thoughts to a place of gratitude.

“When you think about things you appreciate for 30 seconds, you start to change the chemistry in your brain so that you can start to feel more positive,” Sally says.

• “Do something that you find meaningful,” Nicole says. Engaging in an activity you find meaningful can improve your mood and fill you with a renewed sense of purpose. Try several before you settle on one. If you’re choosing to stay socially distant, Sally says, “there are all kinds of online groups ranging from church groups to book clubs.”

• Exercising is another way you can care for yourself. “Thirty minutes a day of exercise can make a huge difference — especially if you can get outside,” Sally says. Exercise releases endorphins that trigger a positive feeling in the body.

• Reach out to friends and family via phone or video call. “It can be the quality of social interaction that matters more than the quantity,” Nicole says. Having that one friend or supportive group you can speak with in an authentic way makes a difference. Sally says video platforms are a wonderful way to recreate holiday rituals. “Think about ways that you marked the holiday in the past. Then, try to redo it, like everyone watching the same holiday movie and then talk about it.”

By Barbara Myerson Katz Photo by Melissa Donald PROMOTION

meet the women of

Heuser Hearing Institute

W

hat is now Heuser Hearing Institute was founded in 1948 by three volunteer teachers — Barbara Daugherty, Alice Clark, and Ruth Browning — who worked with young, hearing-impaired students on Saturday mornings in the basement of the Women’s Club of Louisville. True to its roots more than seven decades later, the nonprofit organization, which provides educational and clinical services to some 6,200 Kentuckiana children and adults annually across five locations, boasts an all-female management team: Clinical Director Dr. Ingrid Edwards, Director of Philanthropy Shannon Kisselbaugh, Executive Assistant Makayla Bell, Education Director Debbie Woods, and Clinical Administrative Supervisor Tiffany Price.

They coordinate and supervise the work of 46 women on staff who are audiologists, educators, therapists, and clinicians. Just seven men work at the institute, including CEO Brett Bachmann, who says, “In my time working with these amazing women, I’ve been inspired by their strong leadership, tireless dedication, and endless creativity. It’s a pleasure to work together every day, and I know learning from their insight and expertise has also helped me grow into a better leader.”

omen In NON-PROFITS L to R, seated: Tiffany Price, Shannon Kisselbaugh.

L to R, standing: Debbie Woods, Makayla Bell, and Dr. Ingrid Edwards.

Ingrid, an audiologist, says many women gravitate toward fields that encompass education and therapy, and believes there’s another compelling draw: “We go into business more often to look at how we can impact the community. That’s what makes this campus exceptional.”

With a mission “to support, promote, and create healthy hearing throughout the Kentucky and Indiana communities we serve,” Ingrid says it’s easy to stay focused. “A child with hearing loss is the epitome of the voiceless. Hearing loss is often a disease of poverty because of issues with pre- and post-natal health care, and then they can’t speak for themselves.”

Shannon, the Director of Philanthropy, likewise notes the importance of relationships with donors and of finding a match between individual donor goals and the needs and programs of the organization. The moment when that clicks, she says, is “magic.” The five women on the management team bring diverse backgrounds and perspectives and draw on that to collaborate. Everyone at Heuser cares about each patient and also about the ongoing need to keep the organization running.

Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis, for example, a recent virtual version of an annual fundraiser brought in the most money in the history of the event.

“A child with hearing loss is the epitome of the voiceless.”

“For the whole staff to be able to leave every day with a goal that’s much larger than one patient at a time,” Ingrid says, “I think that’s what keeps us here.”

5 Locations Serving Kentuckiana and Surrounding Areas | 502.526.5293 | thehearinginstitute.org

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Illustrating A Magical World

By Tonilyn Hornung Photos submitted

E

rika Wiseman Hunter, or “erikathegoober” as she’s known to her over 200,000 Instagram followers, is a local illustrator and character designer making a name for herself far beyond her hometown. She finds her inspiration in stylized video games, pop culture, and the animation of Disney artists. So, to borrow some inspirational words from her favorite Disney princess Rapunzel, “She’s got a dream,” and it’s in following her dream that she’s able to show her online followers that following their dreams has value, too.

Born and raised in the Louisville area, Erika grew up with a love for art. “I’ve always gravitated toward drawing. It’s something I always loved doing.” It was in middle school that she became interested more specifically in digital art. “I would see other people do art this way, and I wanted to know more,” Erika says. Simply put, digital art is art that’s made or presented using digital technology. The basic principle of creating art remains the same because “you’re drawing with a pencil on a digital screen just like you would on paper,” Erika says.

As her love for this medium grew, she recognized that she enjoyed studying all the components that went into creating digital art.

One of the aspects that drew her in was the immense potential digital art possessed. “There are many more style possibilities with digital art, because you can make your work look like a physical painting, or choose something totally different. You can choose a texture or something smooth,” Erika says.

Online tutorials helped her understand how to create in the world she loved so much. “All I’ve learned about digital art, like drawing in Photoshop, was all self-taught,” she says. Once her life’s dream became focused on following her artistic passions, she attended the University of Louisville, where she studied fine arts. It was here that she worked on “figure drawing and anatomy” to strengthen her character design and cartoon drawing skills.

Erika’s accomplished yet whimsical works showcase an artist who’s not afraid of bold color choices. Her characters all seem to share some universally happy secret, and these qualities have allowed her to become a full-time freelance artist. “It can take having a lot of different freelance projects to sustain your income,” Erika says. This is why her work can be viewed on many different websites and platforms, such as her own website (where you can commission your own self-portrait), Instagram, Etsy, Patreon, and YouTube.

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Erika perfected her artistic skills through using online tutorials and says she wants to be an inspiration to other aspiring artists.

Her YouTube channel is where you can catch a glimpse into Erika’s creative process. With videos like How To Find Your Art Style and How To Color Sketches Digitally, Erika is sharing her knowledge with those who have an interest like she did when first starting. “I just want to help people. I learned everything about digital art through tutorials people put out on the Internet. I want to let people know what I know, like those people had done for me,” she says. This giving attitude also inspires her to teach art classes and help other aspiring artists find their own paths.

For those looking to develop their own online following, Erika suggests trying out several platforms first. “It’s really important to understand how the platform works so you can use that to your advantage.” Once you find the platform that’s best suited to your needs, Erika says to post consistently. This will help you develop a following and build your brand.

Erika, like her favorite Disney heroine Rapunzel, is sharing her dream and her knowledge as she travels down her own creative path. Erika says, “draw what you love and realize you're on your own artistic journey.”

Erika uses digital tools such as Photoshop to create her illustrations.

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A SCONE

FOR YOUR HOLIDAY TABLE Story and Photos by Madeleine Dee

BROCCOLI-BACON-CHEDDAR SCONES Yields 8 portions INGREDIENTS: • 2 cups all-purpose flour • 3/4 tsp. salt* (See note) • 1 tbsp. baking powder • 2 tsp. granulated sugar • 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled and cubed into 16-20 pieces • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese • 1 cup finely-chopped broccoli • Generous 1/2 cup thinly-sliced scallions • 1/2 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled • 1 1/4 cups heavy cream, plus extra for brushing the tops Note: 3/4 of a tsp. of salt yields a well-seasoned scone. If you are watching your sodium, you can use 1/2 tsp., and if you want scones that taste extra amazing, you can use 1 whole tsp.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: • Parchment paper

INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Heat your oven to 425°F. 2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar.

3. Use your hands to crumb the butter cubes into the dry ingredients. Be sure to leave some larger chunks because these are the magic wands that make the scones puff up!

4. Mix the cheese, broccoli, scallions, and bacon into the bowl until everything is evenly coated in the flour mixture.

5. Pour the 1 1/4 cups of cream into the bowl and use a big spoon or rubber spatula to gently combine all the ingredients, making sure to scoop up the crumbs that fall to the bottom of the bowl. Press the dough together into a smooth mass, being sure not to overmix, and transfer it to a heavily-floured surface. Do NOT sprinkle any flour over the top! Use your hands to shape a thick, even disk that’s about 7-8 inches wide and carefully transfer it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, tapping off excess flour from the bottom as you go.

6. Use a bench scraper or sharp knife to portion the dough into 8 equal wedges, then pull each one back a bit so there’s space between all of them. Doing this gives the scones space to puff up and out. It also keeps portioning easy. Brush the tops with a thin layer of cream for a beautiful, crispy crust.

7. Bake on the center rack for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove immediately from the oven and cool for 5-10 minutes before enjoying warm.

These reheat nicely and freeze well, but let’s be honest — there won’t be any leftovers. Enjoy!

Madeleine Dee (AKA The Seasoned Cynic) is a chef, writer, actress, world traveler, and filmmaker who lives in Louisville. Watch her cooking show, Easy Elegance, on YouTube! Instagram: @TheSeasonedCynic ~ Website: TheSeasonedCynic.com

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Additional note: You can use buttermilk instead of heavy cream for a healthier scone, but using all buttermilk will yield a very sticky dough that requires extra flour and isn’t as fluffy or as moist. If you want to incorporate buttermilk, it would be ideal to sub it for 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the cream. The best scones, however, are ones made with all cream!

Today’s Woman / December 2020

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A Gift for Moms

The connection between motherhood and political activism

By Tonilyn Hornung Photos submitted

L

ocal author Farrah Alexander became captivated by the intricacies of politics at a young age. “My interest began when I was in high school. Before I was old enough to vote, I was campaigning,” she says. Her fascination continued into adulthood, and now as the mother of two young children, her focus has shifted to the “intersection between parenting and politics.” This is how her debut book Raising the Resistance: A Mother’s Guide to Practical Activism was born.

Farrah grew up in the Louisville area and has always had a passion for writing. After the election of 2016, she says, “I wanted to get more involved in politics and had an interest in activism.” So she turned her focus to exploring the connection between motherhood and political activism. “As a mother I felt a duty to step up and influence the future in which I was raising my children.” It was in this spirit of activism that Raising the Resistance took shape.

Farrah’s book is for any mom out there “who has any interest in political activism — whether they’re just getting started or they want to deepen their involvement.” Raising the Resistance discusses “everything from feminism, body positivity, toxic masculinity, to political representation.” These are subjects in which she has always taken a keen interest, but now she’s able to take all her acquired knowledge and research and place it into one empowering book. “I’m very proud to write this book for women who inspire me so much,” Farrah says.

If at first glance these topics feel daunting to dive into, there’s no need to worry. Farrah employs an inspiring, easy-to-read style that makes the reader eager to turn the page. At the end of each chapter, there are tips that “can apply to any parenting style and that are easy for moms to do,” Farrah says.

One way that Farrah encourages political activism is by voting.

“That’s one of the most acceptable ways that we can influence politics right now, and I do think that it’s a form of political activism.”

Modeling the act of voting for your children is a wonderful way to show them how our system of democracy works. “Involving them in the process is a good thing to do,” Farrah says. This act can even set up interest at an early age.

Another tip Farrah offers to moms wanting to become more politically active is to be honest with your kids about what’s happening in the world of politics. You can do this with younger kids as well as your teens. “I think it’s perfectly fine to talk about what’s going on in the world,” Farrah says. “You don’t have to burden them with any dark or serious topics, but they might have questions.” Being honest and age-appropriate with your answers is a good way to begin a dialogue that can continue for years.

If you’re the mother of a teenager and looking for a positive way to encourage activism, Farrah says you can begin by explaining in detail how the political process works. “One thing that happens is that young adults around voting age don’t vote because they feel like they don’t have enough information to vote,” Farrah says. She says that it’s especially important to talk about the entire voting process.

“My biggest goal in writing this book is to empower women and engage them in the political process in any way,” Farrah says.

k Raising the Resistance: A Mother’s Guide to Practical Activism is available where books are sold and locally at Carmichael’s Bookstore.

“As a mother, you have tremendous power because you’re raising the next generation, and your actions affect what the future is going to look like.”

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Today’s Woman / December 2020

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A 2020 CHRISTMAS:

STILL MERRY

By Tonilyn Hornung

I

’ve never been good at making predictions. I don’t know when to pack an umbrella. I’m not good at picking the Derby winner, and I definitely can’t tell when my 7-year-old will eat his vegetables at dinner. The good news is, there’s one event I can predict: the holidays. My holidays have played out in the same cozy way for decades. This year, however, it looks like even that’s changing. I couldn’t have predicted how the year 2020 would change everything, and I’m not sure how I’m supposed to roll with all this change.

It’s been my tradition to spend the holidays with my family. My parents, husband, grandmother, and I sit around the kitchen table watching my sister take her annual bite of pumpkin pie. We wait anxiously to see if this is the year she likes it. Nope. It’s not. My holiday has been this way for decades — but not this year. My sister, her husband, and toddler won’t be flying into town. My grandmother’s nursing home has closed its doors to visitors due to COVID-19 safety precautions. The holidays are changing.

Louisville resident Janet Buckman and her family are also on the road to revising their plans. “Usually we go to my sister’s, but this year it’s definitely changing.” For many years Janet has had a lively dinner with 25 to 30 family members, but all of her family is “doing a different thing this year.” Social distancing, staying in family pods, and making choices to keep older family members safe are all reasons plans are shifting.

The same holds true with Louisvillian Andrea Maddux O’Brien and her family. “Normally on Christmas Eve my husband, my kids, and I all go to my in-laws.” Andrea says it can be so crowded “that you don’t want to leave your seat because you might not get it back...it’s so funny.” Recently, she said, “I came to the realization that it’s not going to happen the way it normally does” because, even though it’s been a hard call, it has become crucial for them to incorporate social distancing practices into their holiday event.

As for me, with all the change in traditions, I don’t feel all that jolly. The consistency of my traditions grounds me in my childhood. I feel connected to beloved family members that have passed or even holidays long ago where the magic of the season was more present within me. What can I create that’s new that will still give me that same feeling of connection?

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Janet is taking the connection she feels through her family’s recipes and adding that ingredient to her new tradition. “I’m going to cook for the three of us.” She decided to cook up all of their traditional dishes and her family will use the magic of technology to have a virtual meal together. “It’s the safe way to do it,” she says.

Andrea’s family is planning to visit each other in shifts to limit the number of people and allow enough room for social distancing.

My family will be creating some new traditions. I plan on inundating my grandmother with too many handmade holiday cards, and I’m even going to try my hand at one of her famous recipes. This year, though, I’ll have to watch my sister take her annual bite of pumpkin pie via video chat. But who knows? Maybe it will finally be the year she likes it.

Today’s Woman / December 2020

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29 THINGS (Why 29? Because we are 29 years old!)

Happenings, news, and tidbits that caught Today’s Woman’s eye this month

By Anita Oldham

1-8

Happy Birthday Today’s Woman!

Since it is our 29th Birthday — we are going to indulge in some of covers in our recent past.

You can look at previous issues of our magazine online at TodaysWomanNow.com.

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9.

HELP US CELEBRATE

by sharing your Today’s Woman story on our social media — look for posts on Facebook and stories on Instagram that you can share or email Editor@ TodaysMediaNow.com.

29 THINGS

NATURAL LEARNING

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Six Questions with Bridget Benson, director and a teacher of Swallowtail Forest School at the Louisville Nature Center. This half-day preschool program offers 3, 4, and 5 year olds time outdoors exploring, in all kinds of weather. louisvillenaturecenter.org/ forestschool

WHAT IS A FOREST SCHOOL? Forest preschools put a priority on unstructured outdoor play time, allowing children ample opportunity to build important life skills like resilience, riskassessment, and inquiry.

HOW MANY 3-5 YEAR-OLDS CAN ATTEND? Currently we have the capacity for 10 children to attend each day. Since we have options for students to enroll 2, 3, or 5 days a week, 17 families are enrolled this semester.

WHAT DOES A DAY LOOK LIKE AT THE FOREST SCHOOL? We meet from 9am to 12pm. When everyone has arrived and put their backpacks away, we come together for a brief sharing circle, followed by free play and exploration in our nature playground. About half-way through the morning, we sit down for a snack and a story, then we get back to free play.

Sometimes we will visit the garden, hike, or have an optional activity outside at this time. When it's almost time for pick-up, we have a closing circle where we talk about our day, followed by a story.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE DAY? Free play! I love seeing what the kids get into. They may find a cool bug and build a home for it, open up a mud pie store, work together to dig out tunnels.

Every day has its own exciting discoveries!

WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THE SCHOOL — HOW DO YOU SEE IT EVOLVING? We hope to create an additional outdoor classroom space next year, so that we may have an additional class of students meeting at a time. We are also considering eventually offering full-day care so that forest school can be accessible to more families.

WHAT DO KIDS LEARN BETTER IN THE FOREST THAN THE CLASSROOM? Children learn resilience and adaptability by playing outdoors in all weather — as long as they are dressed for the elements. They’re learning that a rainy day can still be a great day. They learn to properly assess risks when they climb trees and jump from stumps. Many children also show increased ability to focus on difficult tasks in nature, presumably due to its calming effects.

Bridget Benson is the director and a teacher of Swallowtail Forest School at the Louisville Nature Center.

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29 THINGS

INSTAntly Interesting Every month we feature local instagram accounts that caught our attention.

You can also be highlighted on page 8 by using #TodaysWomanLove or #TodaysWomanShareIdeas.

13. @nouvellewine

11. @katieperridesign

12. @louisvillecommunitygrocery

14. @leather23

15. @theparklandsoffloydsfork

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ALSO, DON’T MISS THE

LOCAL BOUTIQUE AND SHOPS

WHO ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN OUR GIFT GUIDE (PAGES 46-55).

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@blisshomefurniture

@digshomeandgarden

@magnolia_and_fig

@baxterscorner

@posh_home_lville

@delivergiftwell

@kathys_shoppe

@huberwinery

@mamili502

@secretgardenshopky

December 2020 / TodaysWomanNow.com

29 THINGS

26.

More Nature Learning Wilderness Louisville received a $5,000 award from the National Park Trust to support the Louisville ECHO program to engage approximately 300 fourth graders in partnership with Mammoth Cave National Park. Louisville ECHO’s mission is to improve equitable access to nature in Louisville by providing a continuum of outdoor opportunities for youth ages 3 to 21. Louisville ECHO works with local title one schools as well as Louisville Parks and Recreation community centers to provide outdoor education/recreation opportunities throughout the school year.

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WHAT A NICE GIFT! Go to the Frazier Museum — they are offering free memberships to anyone who lives in the Louisville area.

Memberships last until October 31, 2021.

Got to fraziermuseum.org/free to sign up and find information.

Cool Kentucky, their new permanent exhibit, explores the history, culture, and iconic figures of Kentucky. Other exhibits include The Spirit of Kentucky® Bourbon Exhibit, What is a Vote Worth? Suffrage Then and Now, Celebrating the Sounds of Kentucky, The Lewis & Clark Experience, Border State: Kentucky and the Civil War, The Founder’s Gallery, and The Stewart Historic Miniatures Gallery.

Know An Artist?

28. We’d like to feature local artists in our March issue of Today’s Woman. Please nominate yourself or an artist you know who deserves to be recognized. Go to TodaysWomanNow.com/ Nominate.

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ALL ABOUT THE DRESS

Especially when it is almost 8 feet wide!

Jasna Pickett had Lilly Chodyniecki custom make her wedding dress with Jasna choosing every detail. “The fabric was ordered online from three different companies and every bead was hand placed by Lilly. She took my designs and brought my vision to life,” Jasna says. The process took 10 months, though COVID-19 slowed things down for fittings and design.

Read more about Jasna and other local celebrations starting on page 68. Want yours to be featured? Send a message to Jill@TodaysMediaNow.com.

Today’s Woman / December 2020

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I CONFESSED, AND NOW MY HUSBAND WON’T STOP BEING ANGRY

By Joyce Oglesby

Q: “I can’t get my

husband to stop being angry. We have been married 20 years. Shortly after we were married, I had an affair I never told him about. Recently, I felt compelled to tell him. I knew he would take it hard, but thought he would move on and we would get back to our great relationship.

But he’s so angry, and our lives are a mess right now. How do you get a person you love so dearly to forgive you?

Struggling with a relationship issue? Write Joyce Oglesby, Family Life FIX-IT Pro at justaskjoyce@gmail.com and find a solution for life.

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Joyce’s FIX: Unfortunately, once we become

adults, no one can really “make” us do anything.

But long before we become grown-ups, it is difficult to mold our feelings into something we aren’t truly experiencing.

Infidelity sets into motion a spiral of emotions that can turn on a dime. Unfaithfulness cuts so deeply into the heart that the pain it inflicts can cause people to respond in ways abstract to their very character. He could be angry one hour and the next be crying, even tender. You might feel the course is finally taking a healing direction one month, then suddenly, something begins unraveling again. The sad reality of it is he could decide he’s not going to stay, and if he does, the unpredictability doesn’t go away.

If you want your marriage to last, you will be forced to adopt a new level of patience.

Layer that with understanding and a dose of forgiveness of your own. His fickle behavior from moment to moment will call for an increase in your tolerance of backlash, which you could experience for as long as the affair lasted, if not longer.

I have talked with many people who have sustained the turbulent forces of infidelity. It

December 2020 / TodaysWomanNow.com

can be done, but I assure you it is not without heartache. I believe it takes a special person to overcome being the victim of betrayal by a spouse. Kudos to those couples who do whatever it takes to work through the egregious error in judgment.

You can’t make your husband forgive you.

However, he should…for himself more than for you. Unforgiveness is like a cancer that devours and can cause a person to become bitter, and also predisposes them to distrust every relationship he/she enters into in the future. What you can do is “make” yourself prove to him he has no reason to distrust you now. Make sure there is never a question dodged, misinformation given, no breach of integrity whatsoever going forward. It will be important that he sees the remorse in you, and he might need to see that displayed again and again. Whereas infidelity is a common marital issue, each situation is unique. You know your husband better than anyone else. If he’s willing to work through this, cooperation on your part is imperative. Work. Work some more. Then work as long as it takes to preserve the legacy the two of you created. In the end, the labor could be in vain, but it might not be — and that is worth everything the two of you will strive to achieve.

Today’s Woman / December 2020

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MADISON + BRYAN From the neon sign to the emerald green, white, with a touch of lavender color palette, bride Madison Winebrenner and groom Bryan Lockard sprinkled personal touches throughout their September 19, 2020, wedding ceremony and reception at The Venue at Highland in Elizabethtown, KY. Guests witnessed the bride’s aunt officiate the nuptials and watched the newly married couple’s first dance to “Say You Won’t Let Go” by James Arthur. For those that could not attend, the couple created a Facebook group to watch the ceremony.

Madison says her favorite memory was seeing Bryan and having some private time together after the ceremony.

THE DETAILS Ceremony and Reception The Venue at Highland, Elizabethtown Photographer Morgan Himes Photography Videographer Unscripted Film Co. Floral Design Elizabethtown Florist Dress Couture Closet Bridesmaids Dresses USA Bridal Tuxes USA Bridal Catering/Food Food Obsessions Cake Family Friend, Gary Williams Ceremony and Reception Music DJ Joker Decor Rentals Something Blue Events Rings Genesis Diamonds Makeup Makeup by Lauren Hair Chelsie Dunn, Cut Ups Salon Rehearsal Dinner The Venue at Highland, Elizabethtown Honeymoon San Diego and Las Vegas

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HANNAH + COLE On December 8, 2019, bride Hannah Harper married her groom, Cole Perkins at the Olmsted in Louisville. Although the bride and groom are both from out of state, they decided to do a “destination” wedding in Louisville since they met here while attending school. “Louisville did not disappoint,” says Hannah. “Our families enjoyed the food and fun that Louisville has to offer.”

The traditional wedding with burgundy, navy, and ivory color palette was perfect for the season and the venue. The guests were able to bless the couple with “The Money Dance,” a family wedding tradition originating from Hannah’s home state of Louisiana.

On a night filled with many treasured memories, one moment stood out for Hannah.

The couple chose not to do a first look, so when Hannah saw Cole before walking down the aisle, it was a powerful moment for her. “It was a magical day, everything I dreamed it would be,” Hannah says. “I’m thankful for all the wonderful vendors who helped make it special.”

THE DETAILS Ceremony and Reception The Olmsted Photographer Madi Metcalf Videographer Blake Wilson Planner Bride’s Mom Floral Design Sarah Rae Designs Dress Rebecca’s Wedding Boutique Bridesmaid Dresses Azazie Tuxes Men’s Wearhouse Catering/Food Masterson’s Catering Cake Plehn’s Bakery Ceremony and Reception Music Dance Party Unlimited, Jack Gill Stationery Simply To Impress Favors Chocolate Makeup MV Beauty Hair Michaela Matthews, Emileigh Gentry Rehearsal Dinner Martins Bar-b-que Today’s Woman / December 2020

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JASNA + LEONARD Wearing a custom made Lilly Chodyniecki dress, Jasna Pickett married Leonard Allison, on October 3, 2020, at The Henry Clay. Jasna had always dreamed of having her own Cinderella wedding at an elegant venue, adorned with ornate details and high ceilings. She found her fairy tale location. “From the historical feel, the beautiful marble, the 1920’s ornate stained glass ceilings, everything was perfect for what we wanted,” says Jasna.

Their formal wedding displayed a color palette of rose gold, dusty gold, burgundy, and ivory accented with floral centerpieces that towered over the tables at 3 feet tall. Beyond the lavish decor were plenty of special moments orchestrated by the bride and groom. Leonard’s vows were a perfect reflection of his love for Jasna and his devotion to God. “To this day, our guests cannot stop talking about his vows,” reflects Jasna. Their first dance as a married couple was to “This Is Why I Love You” by Major.

As the night wore on, the DJ kept the party going with a mix of old and new songs, highlighted by Leonard serenading his bride with her favorite song, “Beauty” by Dru Hill. When planning your fairy tale wedding, Jasna recommends starting the planning process as soon as possible. “Do not let anyone tell you how to organize your wedding. Remember, you are only doing this once.”

THE DETAILS Ceremony and Reception The Henry Clay Photographer and Videographer In The Shade Photography Planner Bethany Thorsness, Excellence Wedding Solutions Floral Design Studio Botanica, Cristy Beck Ceremony Dress Lilly Chodyniecki Reception Dress Aryea Kolubah Bridesmaid Dresses David’s Bridal Tuxes J Alan Formalwear Catering/Food and Drinks Custom Foods Catering Cake Amanda Hardien Ceremony and Reception Music Darryl Stephens, Party All Weekend Decor Nadia Shalash, Nadia’s Elegant Events Stationery Hilary Hellesto Bride’s Makeup Tia Mao Bride’s Hair Ciara Morris Bridesmaid’s Makeup April Garner and Ashley Lewis Honeymoon Hawaii and Cruise (in 2021)

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TAYLOR + BRAXTON

Wearing a fitted, v-neck dress with a long scalloped train, bride Taylor Grider married her groom, Braxton Mann, on September 14, 2019, at the Frazier History Museum. The couple exchanged vows on the Frazier History Museum’s dreamy outdoor rooftop, followed by an indoor industrial-style reception.

Their formal wedding displayed a palette of latte, blush, ivory, and black. The guests enjoyed appetizers after the ceremony, and later followed up with chicken and waffles and macaroni and cheese for dinner. For dessert, Taylor’s grandmother made their cake. “I’m a huge cake/cupcake lover, but nothing compares to my grandma’s white cake with buttermilk icing,” said Taylor.

Taylor and Braxton wanted to keep the tradition of not seeing each other before the ceremony. “[This] moment was so special to us. Something we anticipated all day,” said Taylor. Her advice to other brides is to eat breakfast, drink water, and take it all in. “The day is such a blur because you’re constantly going and moving and taking pictures! People would tell me this all the time before the wedding and boy were they right!” Taylor says.

ASHLEY + ROBERT

THE DETAILS Ceremony and Reception Frazier History Museum Photographer Christen Endicott, Everleigh Photography Videographer Visual Concepts Floral Design In Bloom Again Dress House of White Bridal Boutique, Martina Liana (brand) Bridesmaids Dresses Kennedy Blue Tuxes Men’s Wearhouse Catering/ Food Ladyfingers Drinks Masterson’s Catering Cake Bride’s grandmother, Irma Sallee Ceremony Music harp player, Louisa Ellis Woodson Reception Music Sound Specialist DJ Rings Olinger Diamond Center, Jasper, IN Stationery Shine Wedding Invitations Makeup/ Hair Ashley Wilson (bride’s hair & makeup, bridesmaid’s hair), Brooke Sales (bridesmaid’s makeup) Rehearsal Dinner Hopcat Honeymoon Punta CanaSanctuary Cap Cana

From the bride’s form-fitting gown to the blush, cream, lilac, and navy color palette, the Zaring wedding was the perfect embodiment of an English Garden wedding.

On August 1, 2020, Ashley DeVault married Robert Zaring, at Yew Dell Gardens in a beautiful outdoor ceremony.

The couple planned the wedding in 30 days, but had to replan it several times due to the pandemic. Despite the changes, Ashley never doubted that her special day would come. “It will all work out the way it’s supposed to,” Ashley says. However, her advice to other brides is to hire a wedding coordinator to ease the burden.

THE DETAILS Ceremony Yew Dell Gardens Reception Our House – The Dragon Lair Photographer and Videographer Jordan Pantoja Planner Maggie Heeley Floral Design Rose and Honey Floral Dress Kelly Faetanini Tux Tuxedo Avenue Catering/Food Mayan Cafe Rings Jordan Clines Makeup/Hair Kenzie Meade, Beauty Patrol; and Leah Cave, The Salon at Anchorage Today’s Woman / December 2020

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CAROLINE + ROMAN Caroline Holtgrave and Roman Aprile had a small wedding ceremony in her mother’s backyard on March 28, 2020. Originally planned for the Van Gogh Room at the Mellwood Art Center, the couple had to postpone their reception due to the pandemic. Despite the change in venue, wedding party, and guest list, the couple tried to maintain that traditional wedding feel. The bride, wearing a Milano Gown from BHLDN, looked radiant as she and her groom danced to “The 1”

by Otis Jr. and Dr. Dundiff on her mother’s deck. They also enjoyed their first meal at home together, takeout from Seviche, the couple’s favorite local restaurant.

The couple included their two dogs in the ceremony, with the smaller dog Zeta, joining them in a few of the wedding photos. Throughout the day, they were able to Facetime with family members who lived out of town. “My two sisters were my matrons of honor so it was very important for them both to be with me, even virtually, on my wedding day,” Caroline says.

After almost a year of marriage, the couple hopes to celebrate with friends and family at a reception in March of 2021, with plans to honeymoon in Saint Lucia after the reception.

THE DETAILS Ceremony and Reception Bride’s Mother’s backyard Photographer Crystal Ludwick Photo, LLC Planner Jennifer Combs, Fit to Be Tied Floral Design Erin Minton Wisecarver Dress Milano Gown from BHLDN Catering/ Food Louie Karem (reception 2021) Cake Sweets by Millie Rings Catbird Stationery Cartwheels Papers and Gifts Rehearsal Dinner River House (in 2021) Honeymoon St. Lucia (in 2021)

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Today’s Woman / December 2020

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