Partnership and service are the cornerstones of meaningful change, creating a ripple effect that transforms lives and builds stronger communities. At The Healing Place, we’ve witnessed countless examples of this transformative power, but few have been as inspiring as the Acorn Ladies. This remarkable group embodies the essence of service, resilience, and community, reminding us that when individuals come together with a shared purpose, extraordinary change is possible. Through their unwavering commitment to supporting one another and lifting others, the Acorn Ladies have become a beacon of hope, proving that no challenge is insurmountable when faced together. In the rest of this blog post, written by the Acorn Ladies themselves, they share their journey, their mission, and the impact they’ve seen through the power of partnership and service.

“Our initial goal was to use our creativity and handmade gifts to show God’s love to the women at The Healing Place. In 2015, we scheduled our first visit to the women’s campus, unfamiliar territory for us then, but now we go there often. Our tour guide had completed the program and was now helping the other 240 women recover from their addictions. She won our hearts and accepted us as new friends. We asked, “What do you need? How can we help?” She said,” We need Big Books.” She showed us a tattered book that was being shared by a few girls and said, “It includes the 12 steps for recovery. We also need notebooks and pens because we write about why and how we got here.” We found a source for the Big Books and now supply them regularly. These books lead them to seek a higher power and oftentimes, the women at the Healing Place tell us about their faith in God. We listen to their amazing stories and our faith is strengthened and energized! They also needed bus tickets and for the past 3 years, we have provided those with the sales of our HOPE necklaces at Little Mount Lavender store. They donate all proceeds directly to The Healing Place for bus tickets.

For the past 9 years, 7-10 of us meet at Christ Church United Methodist to make HOPE necklaces for the clients. It features a real acorn cap and is packaged with a card that states, “Within every acorn is the HOPE of a mighty oak”. I will never forget the first day we walked into their classroom and saw 100 women sitting in a large circle. We gave each of them a HOPE necklace and they were surprised that we had taken the time to make this unique gift, just for them. They read the back of the card: You are not alone, a group of women from Louisville is praying for you and sending our love and hope to you by making this pendant. The real acorn cap once protected and nurtured the acorn seed until it was ready to emerge and grow. May this be the symbol of hope and protection for you as you continue your journey.

Thanks to the help of many, we have given over 900 HOPE necklaces, 400 Big Books, started the GED program that provides computers and tutoring each week. 100 blankets, 100 pairs of shoes and countless bags of clothing, personal items like underwear for Detox, and support the family Christmas program each year. The beauty of personally giving a gift without anything expected in return is a powerful way to bring humans together. During our first year at THP, almost 10 years ago, the clients surprised us with a “thank you lunch” that they prepared, and we sat with them as friends. It was an emotional day as we realized how much we all meant to each other. They led us to the classroom where we first met them a few months earlier, and one wall was covered with 100 handmade thank you notes artistically made for us! It was beautiful and we were speechless. The small acorn HOPE necklace is much more than a piece of jewelry. It is an effective symbol of hope and love from one person to the other. Now we are known as the Acorn Ladies! Every 6 weeks we give a batch of 100 necklaces to the clients. We love spending time with them and seeing their excitement as they choose their HOPE necklace. They know us, they accept us with hugs, and love is shared one person at a time. Each year in February, we celebrate the year by taking chocolate cakes for the clients and they are decorated with the # year. This February those cakes will have #10,000 on them and it will be a very special celebration of 10 years, 10,000 HOPE necklaces and too many to count blessings!”

-Paula Matthews and The Acorn Ladies