Contributed by Leah Thacker
“Buttons are like women: They hold everything together.”
Stacy Larsen is the director of the River, a nonprofit that seeks to build relationships as women care for themselves. Any woman is welcome to wash clothes, shower, get a haircut or simply enjoy the company of other like-minded women in a safe environment. Children are also welcome, and Larsen believes everyone is family at the River.
The organization is currently fundraising with button bracelets, selling the handmade bracelets at a local shop in Jonesborough. The River Annual Craft Fair raised almost $9,000 in three hours this year. While Larsen says that amount is a huge blessing, she is quick to point out that it’s just a drop in the bucket compared to their expenses.
Larsen tells The Stampede that most women that come have either been through extreme struggles, are currently fighting these struggles or will encounter a major struggle in the future.
“A good majority of our women are or have been homeless. Some are in low-income homes and can’t afford hot water to shower, and many have experienced past violence,” she said.
Almost all services offered to these women are completely free-of-charge, except laundry. Larsen encourages women to pay 25 cents for every two loads of laundry that are both washed and dried at the River. Those quarters go in a jar and are used to send children of regular patrons on full scholarship to First Presbyterian Preschool.
While there are a variety of services offered to women in need, Larsen says the most important part of this organization is building relationships. When people come to volunteer, she says she always encourages them to spend time with the women and start conversations. Larsen works as a full-time director and has only one paid employee under her. The rest of the positions are completely volunteer-based. She stressed the importance of loyal volunteers, saying that some of them have been with the River since it opened in 2004.
Relationships are not the only benefit for those seeking refuge here. Resources are also made available. How does the nonprofit afford to stock their kitchen with snacks or showers with hygiene items? That’s where the public comes in. The River is always accepting donations of frequently used items such as toilet paper, snacks, coffee, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, shampoo and diapers. The nonprofit doesn’t receive any funding at the federal level or from their sponsoring church.
Students interested in helping can stop by One-Forty-Four in Jonesborough to pick up a button bracelet to show support – almost all proceeds of the sale go back to the River. And Larsen invites volunteers to share their talents or skills with the women. Those who know how to sew can sit and chat with Larsen while making button bracelets. Since the holidays are coming up, some might consider baking Christmas treats to hand out to the women. But Larsen says the most powerful thing to do is to lift the ministry up in prayer – pray for the women, for their well-being, their safety and for new opportunities to come.
To learn more about the River visit the organization’s website or contact Larsen at (423) 926-8111.