ROCK
Steven Tyler Opens Second Janie's House For Abused Women and Girls: 'This Does My Heart and Soul Good'
2/6/2019
by
Gil Kaufman
Steven Tyler helped cut the ribbon -- one of his signature scarves, actually -- on Monday (Feb. 4) at the opening of Janie's House, a Bartlett, Tenn., home for girls and women who've been abused or neglected.
The "scarf-cutting" was the latest effort from Janie's Fund, an organization created by Tyler in partnership with Youth Villages to help women in need. According to a press release announcing the opening, the house is located on an 82-acre Youth Villages campus in Bartlett -- just outside of Memphis -- which will have enough space for 14 women and girls at at a time and dozens annually. In addition to residential accomodations, the 3,900-square foot House offers access to 24-hour medical care and therapeutic support, with an outdoor living space overlooking a scenic lake and inspirational murals and quotes chosen by Tyler.
“The mission of Janie’s Fund does my heart and my soul good,” Tyler said in a statement. “This is real - to help even just one girl through Janie’s House is a dream come true… just when the world feels over, you can turn into a butterfly.”
Tyler, who donated nearly $500,000 to Youth Villages through Janie's Fund, also designed the artwork for the building. "We wouldn't be here at all if it wasn't for Steven and his dream of Janie's Fund," said Patrick Lawler, CEO of Youth Villages, according to WREG.
The home and Fund were inspired by the 1989 Aerosmith hit "Janie's Got a Gun," which chronicled the abuse of a child and her violent revenge.
Tyler has a Janie's Fund 2019 Grammy Awards viewing party fundraiser set for Sunday (Feb. 10), with a performance from Aerosmith and master mentalist Lior Suchard. The first Janie's House opened in 2017 just outside of Atlanta, a third home is slated to open in Las Vegas later this year.
