Support AGAPE

Domestic Violence Care

In 2018, AGAPE acquired Morning Star Sanctuary domestic violence services. Since then, AGAPE has had the privilege of continuing Morning Star’s legacy of care and hope, while expanding services to address a growing need for domestic violence services in the Nashville/Davidson County area.

The three flagship services of AGAPE’s domestic violence care include:

• The Morning Star Sanctuary Domestic Violence Shelter to provide emergency shelter to victims after leaving an abusive relationship.
• Court Advocacy Services in partnership with the Metro Office of Family Safety to assist victims of domestic violence in obtaining Orders of Protection.
• A Weekly Support Group and Monthly Mentoring Program to provide a safety net of counseling and trauma-informed healing curricula for survivors and their children.

Emergency Shelter

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger or you fear for your life, please call 911. For assistance with domestic violence support and resources, please contact our 24/7, anonymous and confidential helpline at 615-860-0003.

Survivors’ needs are assessed via the 24/7 hotline and resources are provided. This can include safe stay at secure facilities. AGAPE’s emergency shelter program includes advocacy, case management, counseling, and support group.

Finding a place of refuge from an abuser is CRUCIAL to survivors of domestic violence. Many times they leave quickly with their children, taking nothing more than the clothes on their backs in their desperate attempts to get away. Our emergency shelter provides them with an environment that helps them stay safe without the fear of injury or loss of life. 

Morning Star Sanctuary exists to provide refuge for victims of domestic violence and their children who have fled abusive situations and to help empower them to break the cycle of violence that controls their lives. 

Court Advocacy

In partnership with the Metro Office of Family Safety, AGAPE assists victims of domestic violence in obtaining Orders of Protection and accessing resources following a domestic violence incident.

Nashville’s Family Safety Center in the only safety center nationwide that operates 24/7, including weekends and holidays. This is made possible because of AGAPE’s staff who serve victims after regular business hours.

Victims come to the Family Safety Center often in their most vulnerable state. AGAPE’s staff are there through the overnight hours to support these victims and help them find safety and protection from their abuser.

In addition to serving at the Family Safety Center, AGAPE has an attorney on staff who helps victims go through the Order of Protection process in court. Often, victims would appear in court without an attorney, despite their abuser having legal representation. This leaves victims vulnerable and less likely to get the protection they need.

AGAPE is able to offer this legal representation for free without any financial requirements of the client. This position is fully funded by support given to AGAPE.

In 2022, AGAPE served 964 victims of domestic violence through the Family Safety Center. If you or someone you know needs assistance following a domestic violence incident, the Family Safety Center is located at 610 Murfreesboro Pike, Nashville, TN 37210. To reach the National 24/7 Domestic Violence Hotline, call 1-800-799-7233 or text “Start” to 88788.

Support Group

AGAPE partners with a domestic violence support group that provides a safe and confidential space for individuals impacted by domestic violence. The group aims to provide a supportive community where members can share their stories, concerns, and emotions without judgment. Led by experienced facilitators, it offers a compassionate environment for sharing, healing, empowerment, and personal growth. Whether you are a survivor, currently in an abusive relationship, or seeking to support a loved one, join us in taking steps to break the cycle of violence and build a brighter, violence-free future. You are not alone.

Please text Melna at 615-513-4505 or email for more information on weekly support group meetings.

Mentoring Program

The Mentoring Program was established in 1998 as a safety net for survivors when they exit the Morning Star Sanctuary shelter and each month, our mentors, mentees, and their children gather for a meal followed by 90 minutes of separate healing sessions where our survivors and mentors participate in our specialized trauma-informed curriculum as shown below. Our children/teens receive age-appropriate parallel programming with trained children's counselors and mentors.

Rebuilding Life: A Journey of Hope and Healing is a curriculum developed for AGAPE Morning Star Sanctuary's Mentoring Program, serving adult women survivors of domestic violence and coercive control. Each month pairs a trauma-related theme, such as Creating Safety, Understanding Trauma, Tending to Yourself, and Grief and Loss, with a biblical narrative that illustrates it. Sessions combine facilitator-led teaching with a companion participant workbook, integrating trauma-informed and clinical concepts with scripture in clear, accessible language.

Growing Strong: A Healing Journey for Children and Teens is a parallel curriculum within the same program, developed for participants' children and teens and divided into two age groups (5-10 and 11-17). It mirrors the monthly themes of the women's curriculum with original content adapted for younger audiences led by AGAPE counselors, so that families move through connected healing journeys together each month.

How You Can Serve

We rely on the collective support of our community and the kindness of volunteers to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Even with the confidentiality that is required to keep our clients safe, there are many opportunities for volunteers to get involved, including yard work, cleaning, painting, tutoring, job search assistance, and resume preparation.

The participants in our Mentoring Program also have need for free or reduced-cost assistance with medical, dental, and optometry care as well as car maintenance/repairs. Volunteers can also assist Morning Star Sanctuary by coordinating donation efforts at their local church, school, civic association, etc. These donation sites can be set up to accept items such as gift cards, household goods, non-perishable food items, linens, clothing, etc.

What is domestic violence?

Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence, threats, economic, and emotional/psychological abuse (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 2020).

How common is domestic violence in Tennessee?

Based on recent data from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (2020), 39.6% of Tennessee women and 36.8% of Tennessee men experience intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner rape and/or intimate partner stalking in their lifetimes. Domestic Violence is the leading cause of injury to women—more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined. AGAPE aims to empower victims to break the cycle of violence that controls their lives.

How many domestic violence shelters are in Nashville/Davidson County?

AGAPE is one of two shelters in the Nashville/Davidson County area.