Graduation at Thistle Farms - Most important day of the year

Eight graduates joined our lifelong sisterhood of support this May.  

When you enter the Café at Thistle Farms, there is a photo in the entryway of the newest graduates from our two-year residential program. It’s our daily reminder that every cup of coffee we prepare, every lotion sold, and every dollar raised, is all for the next woman finding her way home.  

This year we cheered on eight graduates at Riverside Revival Church on May 19, 2024. Each graduate has successfully completed two years of job training, classes, intentional community building and healing. Friends and family, community members, board members, Thistle Farms staff, and past graduates celebrated together recognizing the achievement of each graduate and celebrating that eight new residents will follow in their footsteps.     

“We have eight women who are going to take steps of courage across a stage to share with our entire community the commitment that it takes to turn your life around,” Thistle Farms CEO, Tasha Kennard shared. “Today I would share with our graduate community that this is a combination of a lot of big and little steps and that there are many, many, more steps ahead of you. It’s important that we rely on each other and lean in when it gets difficult and that we remember that this sisterhood is here, as a safe place to come back to so that the next woman on the street can find her way home.”  

"It’s important that we rely on each other and lean in when it gets difficult - and that we remember that this sisterhood is here.” - Tasha Kennard  

Director of Residential Services, Shelia Simpkins, shared a slideshow highlighting each individual and their accomplishments. While the milestone marks each graduate’s start to independent living, the community of Thistle Farms is “a sisterhood for life.”  

Want to get involved?  

If you are interested in supporting our residential programs, we invite you to consider being a monthly donor. You can learn more here.