Faulkner Lifestyle April 2019~Anniversary Edition

shelter volunteer, found herself working on the jewelry one
afternoon with the then Executive Director. “She asked me if
I would consider taking on the project so that the paid staff
could focus on their other duties. And I told her ‘Sure!’”
And now, more than a decade later, the idea for a small
fundraiser has turned into a consistent form of revenue for the
Conway Women’s Shelter. But if you ask Linda, the money
isn’t the only reason they do this. “I don’t have a clue how
much money we bring in and really, none of us care. We love
what we do and have made so many friends here.”
Jane Martin, who joined the project shortly after Linda, also
speaks of the comradery amongst the volunteers: “My favorite
part of this group is the women. We laugh, cry, fuss, have a
good time. And we get the work done because ultimately, it’s
about the mission. It’s so rewarding to see the women in the
shelter benefit from our work.”
And benefit they do – according to Breanne McClendon,
the new Executive Director of the Shelter, this self-led group
contributes around 15% of the organization’s annual budget.
“Through the work of these ladies we’ve been able to fund
programming and provide additional resources for the women
in the shelter. But beyond the financial aspect, the ladies also
help spread awareness.”
Breanne, who joined the organization in January, says that
she gets a lot of communication from people saying that they
heard about the shelter at a craft fair or women’s event where
the Broken China Project volunteers were selling jewelry.
For an organization whose mission requires a great deal of
confidentiality, awareness is actually something much needed.
“With domestic violence there is a sense of secrecy and
privacy — we need to keep our location safe, but we also need
to bring more awareness to domestic violence and get the
community involved in helping support these people. So, it’s
about finding a balance.”
The Conway Women’s Shelter is a dual program, providing
a safe space for those escaping abusive situations, but also
operating a hotline for domestic violence and sexual assault,
which receives calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
They can house 25 women, men and children at any one time,
and on more days than not, the shelter is at capacity. In the
instance where they are full, but they receive a call for help,
they work with other domestic violence shelters around the
state to find placement. Once a person becomes a resident in
the shelter, the staff work with them to provide counseling,
support and assistance in establishing an individualized plan
for moving forward.
Breanne knows from her work how essential all these systems
of support are. “The thing about domestic violence is that it
doesn’t discriminate — 1 in 4 women will experience it at
some point in their lifetime. It does not care what color you
are or how much money you make. And it can have a lasting
impact on generations of families. I really want to help break
the stigma of domestic violence.”
And as she speaks, behind us in a brightly lit multi-purpose
room a group of mostly retired women are helping her to do
just that. By taking bits of fragmented pottery, attending to
them with care and love, the ladies of the Broken China Project
are showing how something once broken can be repurposed
into something beautiful, meaningful — whole.
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