Hearthstone

Hearthstone

NuRock teams with nonprofit to aid victims of domestic abuse.

Canton, GA – Located on the side of a cliff, six minutes from downtown Canton, Hearthstone Landing is a respite, but not for thrill seekers.  It’s a sanctuary for victims of domestic abuse and a place where they make plans for a better life.  Its location serves to keep abusers out and give residents a sense of security.

According to Rob Hoskins, managing principal of NuRock Management, “My initial thought was ‘We weren’t in the shelter business ’, But I thought it was something NuRock might be interested in.  Of course Hearthstone isn’t a shelter at all, but a college campus like community that provides a firm foundation that will allow victims of domestic abuse to get their lives back together.”

Hearthstone Landing is a public/private partnership between The NuRock Companies and the Cherokee Family Violence Center (CFVC), a nonprofit group in Canton that has been providing support services such as counseling and emergency shelter for victims of domestic abuse since 1986. “Affordable housing was always the biggest problem for people, well after they had left emergency shelters” said Meg Rogers, executive director for CFVC.

Hearthstone Landing consists of 36 three bedroom, 24 two bedroom, and 12 four bedroom units.  The apartments in the garden style complex are fairly large, ranging from 950 square feet to 1450 square feet, and each unit has its own washer and dryer.  The community includes a two-story, 7,000 square foot community center, a computer resource lab, playground, and a swimming pool.  Hearthstone Landing is consistently leased, and residency is restricted to women with children.

Residents who live at Hearthstone don’t stay indefinitely.  They go through a three year Journey of Healing program administered by the Cherokee center whose office is located on premises.  Upon execution of the lease, the resident agrees to participate in the four phase program.  Participants work with case managers, attend support groups, take budgeting and parenting classes, and are assisted with finding jobs.

Hearthstone has become a successful model which several nonprofit groups are looking to replicate.