Be sure to check out the who behind our why on our blog.
Janna Leadbetter is a founding board member and media manager for Flight to Light. Because she’s a writer and storyteller who has a professional background in the nonprofit sector, it’s a perfect fit.
Janna herself is a survivor of domestic abuse. Since roughly 2011 she has used her own experiences in the hurting and healing journey to educate and empower her peers, which she primarily does through Janna Breaks the Silence for Women.
Her areas of focus include situation analysis, victim and predator patterns, abuse tactics, approaches to healing, dating after domestic abuse, coparenting and single parenting, job readiness and change, and the personal transformation which follows starting over. Much of this will be relevant to the support and resources that Flight to Light offers to our community moving forward.
On a more personal note, Janna’s been a single mom for over a decade. She’s exceedingly proud of her son and daughter, who are both college age. Together the three of them have weathered years of challenge but, in the ways that really matter, are all the better for it.
Janna endeavors, here and beyond, to show other survivors their strength, and bolster hope with their endless potential as they navigate their own hurting and healing journey.
Janna is our first grant recipient. Because she serves on our board, this shared experience has helped us sharpen our business plan and strategize our survivor support. Subscribe to our blog to learn more.
Reagan Harrison, who is the youngest member of our Flight to Light team, attends the University of Missouri in Columbia.
She’s slated to graduate in May 2024 with a Bachelor’s in Banking and Finance, which means that she’ll fittingly contribute to our nonprofit by ensuring its compliance and financial integrity.
Reagan is the daughter of our founder, Lisa Shelman.
Peyton Harrison has always been drawn to helping the vulnerable. During her time in college she interned at a facility for unhoused youth. These youth were displaced from their homes due primarily to abuse and violence, and they chose to strike out on their own and “couch surf” versus living in an unsafe environment. At the facility, Peyton was introduced to many brave young girls trying to make the best of their troubled start to life, but who were still at risk for being exploited. She has never forgotten them.
Peyton, who is Lisa Shelman’s daughter, spent many of her adolescent years having the time of her life with Sammi Jo, and was captivated by her resolute radiance and strength. Her loss, in such a tragic manner, impacts Peyton’s desire to make a difference today.
Peyton currently works for a company that supports adults with disabilities, again choosing to provide support to the most vulnerable of our population.
With this deep rooted instinct to protect and support, Peyton’s role in the nonprofit is a natural fit. Because of her desire to make a difference, she will work with us by helping set up the most impactful programs.
Lisa Shelman is the broker/owner of Land Chick Realty. While she’d been working in the field of real estate for several years, it became apparent that positioning to buy a home can be challenging for even the well-prepared. Most people, with a little bit of guidance and resourcefulness, find a way to claim this important piece of financial safety and security.
But with every successful story Lisa witnessed, she also reflected on those for whom safety and security were out of reach; those who might be trapped in abusive situations with no way out and, more specifically, with no viable happy homecoming story in sight.
Lisa wondered if there was some way she could make a difference in those stories…
Enter Flight to Light.
When the idea for Flight to Light took form, she immediately reached out to Janna, who we met above. For years Lisa had admired from afar Janna’s vocal, vigorous DV advocacy. After collaborating for several weeks on the visual elements needed to launch the nonprofit, it quickly became apparent that Janna belonged not only as a creative force, but as a team member.
Once Reagan and Peyton, both Lisa’s daughters and featured above, were added to the team because of the heart and niche expertise they each provide. That’s when the picture began to really take shape.
Now Flight to Light is here, at the cusp of its journey, and Lisa couldn’t be more proud and excited. While it’s hard to know exactly where the story of Flight to Light will ultimately lead, her greatest wish is that it makes a positive impact on as many lives as possible. She wants to show those experiencing their most vulnerable times that support is available.
If you’re living with abuse you aren’t alone, and there are pathways to safety.
To peace.
To light.