Team Newhouse

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 …

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 …

Kaitlin has been supporting survivors and families on staff at Newhouse for more than seven years! Currently, she’s the Director of Administrative Operations, and previously she’s been the Manager of Mission Impact and served in direct services. As an advocate who has worked day and night shifts and been a supervisor for the team, she’s …

What an honor it has been to be a part of team Newhouse for the last three years. Never would I have imagined a world-wide pandemic to hit 75 days after stepping into my role. But it did! Over the last three years, “normal” for all of us shifted in significant ways, and while there …

Mahrukh is a court advocate at Newhouse. In her time at Newhouse, she has helped survivors in domestic violence in many ways, and we are proud to have her as one of our court advocates standing beside survivors when they are in court, working hard to build the safe and happy life they deserve. Meet …

Ashley Thompson is Volunteer Manager at Newhouse. When she’s not connecting community members to service at Newhouse, you can find her enjoying BBQ with friends and family. Meet Ashley.  Her background and connection to Newhouse This past May, Ashley completed her Bachelors in Social Work at Kansas State and has since started her Masters program …

LaVeeda Simmons is Newhouse’s Lead Children’s Therapist. She leads her team and clients with grace, stability and compassion. We asked LaVeeda a little bit about how she got into this work, her role here and what she sees is the current need for children coming out of domestic violence. Meet LaVeeda.  Her connection to Newhouse …

Meet Clarencetta It is a tall task to encapsulate all the ways Clarencetta Owens has impacted lives in her 40 years of providing support services as a case manager, Parent Aide and foster parent. Owens dedicated her life and career to helping others because of “her calling to help families”, and she takes that calling …

Meet Harmony Harmony Cote is an inspiring advocate for survivors of domestic violence at Newhouse as well as members of the Deaf and Hard of hearing (HOH) community. She is driven to break down barriers facing the Deaf and HOH community, just as Newhouse is dedicated to breaking down the barriers that feed the cycle …

Meet Christy. Mom. Woman with a disability. Grant writer. Advocate. Friend. Survivor of childhood and domestic trauma. Christy changes the lives of women every day – with the power of her words – as a grant writer at Newhouse. Her story of strength and resilience is one of many supported by Newhouse, Kansas City’s first …