SUSAN BINKLEY walks the construction site with both pride and purpose, her eyes scanning the 24,000-square-foot building. The sun catches the gleaming metal roof of a sprawling barn-like structure, its silhouette rising against rolling farmland like a promise coming to life. Here, in the countryside, something extraordinary is happening — Blue Monarch is expanding, not just in square footage, but in hope, healing, and the belief that families can rebuild their lives.
Blue Monarch is a well-known nonprofit organization that strives to help women and children break the cycle of addiction and abuse. The organization is now expanding its reach with a new 24,000-square-foot facility that promises to transform lives in ways its founder, Binkley, could only have dreamed of when she started this journey years ago.
This building, designed to resemble a beautiful, oversized barn that blends effortlessly into the rural landscape, represents years of careful planning and community support. It will not only alleviate overcrowding at the current facility but also allow Blue Monarch to serve the broader community better. As other organizations across the country and in Canada have reached out to learn from their model, the new space will host workshops and training, enabling Blue Monarch to equip others to replicate their success.
“Ultimately, the way we can serve more women and children is by teaching others how to do what we do and do it well,” Binkley said.
This new facility will house staff offices, classrooms, and a recreation area for children, affectionately referred to by Binkley as “the tsunami” when they return from school each day. Most importantly, it will allow Blue Monarch to welcome five more families in the space they are currently using, bringing the total to 29 families a day — plus many more individuals throughout the year — into its life-changing program. Blue Monarch is proving that transformation is not only possible — it’s happening right here in Middle Tennessee.
FUNDRAISING BACKGROUND
The organization has consistently grown and evolved to address the needs of both mothers and children in recovery. The fundraising journey to support Blue Monarch’s expansion has been as transformative as the mission itself.
“We started having one major fundraising event, and so the purpose of that fundraising event has changed through the years,” Binkley explained.
The funds raised initially aimed at replacing the roofs on the original buildings on the property. As the needs grew, so did the goals. Subsequent banquets raised money for new cottages in the transitional program and to acquire adjacent land, expanding the campus from 50 to 108 acres.
Fundraising efforts have continued to support the growing population of women and children the organization serves. According to Binkley, one key to Blue Monarch’s success is its intentional focus on both the mothers’ and children’s recovery.
“We focus on the child’s recovery as much as we do the moms,” Binkley said. “We also have a very rich sober parenting program. A lot of our moms have come from homes where they didn’t observe healthy parenting. In the early years of Blue Monarch, I think we really recognized that if we didn’t help them learn how to parent their children, then dealing with the stress of that could end up being the biggest trigger for relapse.”
As Blue Monarch has grown, it has been important to ensure that the expansion does not compromise the quality of its services.
“We probably spent two years really studying how we can grow without compromising the integrity of the services that we provide, and we wanted to make sure that every single family would get the same rich experience.”
CHALLENGES
The journey to this point, however, has been far from simple. Binkley reflected on the challenge of designing the new facility, admitting that it was even more difficult than expected.
“Well, I really feel like in our minds, we’ve been working on it for several years,” she shared. “But when we started working on the design, that was challenging. We initially thought we needed a 12,000-square-foot building, and I spent countless hours working on the design plan.”
The process involved close collaboration with the staff, reviewing plans, imagining daily workflows, and identifying the purpose of each space. Binkley recalled that despite her experience designing buildings, this one was by far the most challenging.
“This one was probably the most challenging, making sure it would function the way we needed it to,” Binkley recalled.
Ultimately, after much deliberation, the team realized they needed a building twice the size they had originally thought: 24,000 square feet.
“We’ve terribly outgrown our space. Every problem we had always pointed back to the same solution — if we could just have more space.”
This larger space will provide the necessary room for all the programs and services Blue Monarch offers, ensuring that the organization can continue its critical work of healing and transformation without compromise.
A COMMUNITY UNITED
This new building is garnering a lot of attention, and the excitement surrounding it is even more obvious. Community members meet each construction update Binkley shares on social media with an outpouring of support and excitement.
Nearly 700 individuals, churches, businesses, and foundations have contributed to the project, making redemption possible for many families all over Middle Tennessee. It’s a true community effort, with donations ranging from modest amounts to six-figure sums, all fueled by a shared passion for Blue Monarch’s mission.
“It’s been a community effort. And it’s been an enthusiastic community effort,” she explained. “They’re not really trying to make an impression on anyone — they are absolutely giving from their heart, and they really are genuinely passionate about the work that we do, and so through the years, that has really been important to me. We’ve been very fortunate that people find out about what we do and then just fall in love with it.”
There’s exciting progress ahead, and Binkley shared that the team is still rallying to raise the necessary funds for the project. She invites everyone to lend their support, whether through prayers for its successful completion, financial contributions, volunteering their time via the website, or donating essential items like toilet paper and paper towels. Every little bit helps.
GREAT THINGS AHEAD
It’s easy to imagine the laughter of children playing and the determined voices of mothers reclaiming their lives.
This new facility brings hope for brighter days ahead, putting the power of empathy on display. When the doors finally open, it will be a triumph for every woman who has found the strength to change her life, every child who has rediscovered joy, and every supporter who dared to believe in the possibility of a brighter future.
Here in rural Tennessee, Blue Monarch is proving that with faith, determination, and a little help from friends both near and far, miracles don’t just happen — they’re built with love and empathy. GN
