Picture this...a place to advocate, educate and empower domestic violence survivors. Hope House's mission is to break the cycle of domestic violence by providing safe refuge and supportive services that educate and empower those impacted by domestic violence. Hope House will advocate social change that protects and engenders a person's right to live a life free of abuse. Advocate with Community Partners to ensure abusers accountability. Educate to understand the complexity of domestic violence. Empower the first step forward for Survivors, The journey to freedom from abuse. Illuminating Hope is hosted by MaryAnne Metheny and Tina Johnson. Host MaryAnne Metheny Chief Executive Officer, MaryAnne Metheny, has worked for the agency in various capacities since she joined Hope House in 1992. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Master of Social Work degree, MaryAnne began as Hope House’s first shelter therapist. She then served in various administrative capacities until becoming CEO in 2006. Throughout her career she has served on many local and statewide committees, currently she serves on the Public Policy Committee for the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. Ms. Metheny was named Woman of the Year at the 2019 Women of Distinction Luncheon honoring the contributions and leadership of women in Eastern Jackson County. She was a 25year member of the Blue Springs Rotary, serving as President in 2014-2015. Her passion for helping domestic violence survivors and her skills as a leader have allowed Hope House to expand its services in order to reach more survivors, with the ultimate goal of accomplishing its mission to break the cycle of domestic violence. Host Tina Johnson Tina is the Community Partnership Manager of Hope House, a published author, a podcast producer, host of Shine KC Podcast, Illuminating Hope Podcast and a domestic violence survivor. She is a University of Missouri Columbia Communication Major as a non-traditional student. She is a Communication Curators Scholarship and Hibbs Scholarship for the Liberal Arts recipient. Her desire to communicate domestic violence issues, awareness and prevention accurately is worth the extra sacrifice and continued education. She is a person of strong faith, and is committed to changing the narrative, myths and misinformation in regard to domestic violence. She is a dedicated wife, mother of six and grandmother of four. Picture this...The journey ahead starts here, together and together we can build a brighter future. You are listening to Illuminating Hope, a podcast cast of Hope House