Blue Monarch and Out of the Blue Granola

A SAFE HAVEN, A SHELTER IN THE STORM

The Blue Monarch is a safe place to fall for women who are struggling with addiction and/or abuse. It is a long-term residential treatment center located on a 50 acre farm, which was formerly a bed and breakfast near Monteagle, TN. This peaceful setting contrasts sharply with the turmoil it’s residents have experienced. The Blue Monarch literally started from a dream. About 20 years ago founder, Susan Binkley had a vivid dream about putting together a recovery program for women and children. At the time, she thought she had intercepted someone else’s dream. Now, years later, she’s living the dream, right down to the very last detail.

Blue Monarch is a 1-2 year program where women, and their chidren live, work, learn and worship. Women are given the chance to reconnect with their children.

LIVING THE DREAM

A few years after “the dream”, Susan and her husband Clay opened a bakery named The Blue Chair. It was here that Susan heard horrifying stores of abuse and addiction from some of her employees. The more she thought about these women and ways she could help, she realized that “this is what God was asking me to do”. She considered ways to employ these women and realized that just a job was not was these women needed. Her feeling was to take a group of women, help them achieve sobriety, enhance their relationship with their children, help them build better life skills and promote spiritual growth. Thus, Blue Monarch was born.

TRANSFORMING LIVES

Susan chose the name Blue Monarch because the butterfly symbolizes transformation and more specifically the monarch because of it’s resilience. And blue for the name of her cafe, which she sold in 2012. A monarch is special because it survives the winter when all others die-fragile, yet determined.

Women come to Blue Monarch for many different reasons. Most are dealing with drug addiction, some are in trouble with the law, some are estranged from their children and some are escaping domestic violence. Whatever the reason, all are struggling. But, in order to be accepted, you must have a desire to change. This is a stringent program and there is a limited amount of space. Blue Monarch can house up to 12 families at a time. It is a huge commitment and you must be willing to change every aspect of your life. Many of these women come from generation of dysfunction.

GRANOLA WITH A PURPOSE

While in the program, women learn to parent their children (sometimes sober for the first time). This is an intensive, self-help program. The Christian-based curriculum combines individual counseling and treatment with classes on parenting and life skills, anger management, budgeting and work ethics as well as Bible study. Once a woman has completed the work ethics program, she is eligible to work at Out of the Blue Granola. This is a private business that provides onsite employment for the women participating in the program. This was a perfect fit since this granola is what they made and served at The Blue Chair. It is an all-natural product, carefully baked by hand using local honey. With each bag purchased, you will receive a photograph of one of the women who bake the granola and her very special story of recovery on the back-that’s why it’s referred to as “gift granola”.

Out of the Blue Granola gives the women valuable job training for their upcoming job search and an often unknown sense of accomplishment. Once the woman starts to earn an income, she can choose to give up to 10% back to Blue Monarch to support the services she has received. These are some of the reasons it is also called “granola with a purpose”.

If you would like to purchase some all natural “gift granola” or “granola with a purpose”, please visit https://www.facebook.com/HedgysGoodDeeds/app_410312912374011