Team Newhouse

Author: Lissha Westmoreland, Newhouse Volunteer Meet Officer Charmainne Sanders Officer Charmainne Sanders of the Kansas City Police Department stands with survivors. She stands with survivors not only from a professional standpoint but from a personal one. Officer Sanders’ connection to an abuse victim, one of her older sisters, caused her to pursue a career in …

Q+A with Ryan Dupree, Newhouse Recovery Counselor National Recovery Month promotes and supports new evidence-based treatments and recovery practices, the nation’s strong and proud recovery community, and the dedication of service providers and communities who make recovery in all its forms possible. One of those service providers works right here at Newhouse. Ryan Dupree, LMSW, …

Meet Grey! Grey joined Team Newhouse in 2020 to help our organization evolve our approach to social work and domestic violence support. He is always ready to assist a child or adult client one-on-one and actively engages in high-level strategy at Newhouse, across the country as a speaker and trainer, and in the classroom as …

Meet Ashley Thompson! Ashley started at Newhouse in 2022 as an intern working towards her Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) in the Advocates Office, where she was on point to answer the 24/7 Crisis Hotline and support residents with daily needs. Today, she is the Director of Community Engagement, helping connect volunteers to projects and …

Meet Teresa! When survivors arrive at Newhouse, we first focus on their immediate needs. That includes clothing and shoes, hygiene items, a comfortable room, and food. Our kitchen staff cooks breakfast, lunch and dinner every day and makes sure snacks are available 24/7 for residents.   Some residents have experienced years of food insecurity and find …

Validating fellow survivors when they need it most:kylie’s journey to legal advocacy Author: Max Sheffield, former Newhouse resident and fellow survivor Kylie wasn’t taught about consent and red flags that indicate abusive relationships in her small, conservative town. In high school, Kylie dated someone older who began emotionally manipulating her and pressuring her into sex. …

Meet Chris! Since 2013, Chris has been supporting survivors and families at Newhouse! He started as a volunteer, joined our advocacy team, then stepped into fundraising/marketing. Now Chris has been our Director of Philanthropic Engagement for more than 4 years! If you have come to one of our events, he has helped create the magic! …

Meet Isabel! Isabel is an Advocate who has supported survivors in many ways over her three years at Newhouse. She is proud of how her team is often the first to speak with a survivor on the 24/7 hotline, then supports them as residents, and celebrates with them after they have moved out. As a …

Meet Brittany! Brittany is our Chief Education + Enrichment Officer and spends every day making life better for our children and families. She leads kids, parents and staff in our Early Learning Center, oversees the 10-week summer camp and so much more. In almost two years at Newhouse, she does incredible work to make the …

Rev. Sharon Garfield and Dortha Mae Olsen More than 50 years ago in 1971, Rev. Sharon Garfield and Dortha Mae Olsen changed the landscape for those facing domestic violence in Kansas City when they co-founded Newhouse. Every year, we take time to celebrate their legacies as trailblazing social justice advocates. It is their vision for …