The roots we draw from
Their stories, humor, hard-earned wisdom, and everyday rituals connect us to those who came before. We honor what they taught and keep their names close.
THE WOMEN WHO CARRY THE HEARTH
Shieldmaidens
Our grandmothers. Our mothers. Our sisters.
Our wives. Our daughters.
A celebration of the life givers—the women whose wisdom, love, creativity, and courage shape our families and our fellowship. We honor their whole lives: the dreams they pursue, the joy they bring, and the futures they make possible.
Celebrate across generationsMany lives. A living legacy.
We use Shieldmaidens here as a name of fellowship and respect. Each woman brings her own gifts—as a maker, teacher, leader, friend, caregiver, explorer, or storyteller. Every woman belongs, with or without children, and each deserves room to flourish on her own terms.
The hands that help us grow
We celebrate the many forms of mothering: bringing life into the world, raising children, offering shelter, and helping another person become themselves.
The strength beside us
Sisters by birth and by chosen kinship bring friendship, honest counsel, shared laughter, and the courage to walk our own paths.
The lives we build together
We honor companionship grounded in mutual respect: shared work, shared dreams, affection, and the daily choice to care for one another.
The futures unfolding
Their curiosity, imagination, and ambitions carry the hearth forward. May they inherit belonging, opportunity, and the freedom to shape their own lives.
PUT GRATITUDE INTO PRACTICE
Give their stories room to live.
Honor the ancestors by listening. Care for one another by showing up today. Leave the next generation stories, skills, and a community worth inheriting.
Carry a story
Share an essay, poem, song, or lesson that celebrates a woman who shaped your life.
Share in the libraryGather around the hearth
Make room for a meal, a storytelling circle, a craft lesson, or a celebration of someone’s achievements.
Arrange a gatheringKeep a name close
Remember a woman who came before us by preserving her life, her joys, and what she taught.
Visit the Altar of RemembranceA wall of celebration
Achievements, stories, artwork, and lessons honoring the women living among us. Share with their consent and leave room for their own voice.
Room for the first celebration.
Celebrate an achievement, a lesson, or a life that brings joy.
Celebrate a Shieldmaiden
Join the fellowship to share a celebration.
Care, dignity & support
Celebrating women includes supporting their well-being, choices, and opportunities. These independent organizations offer information, advocacy, and help when it is needed.
ZeroV
Kentucky’s coalition working for safe lives and thriving futures for survivors and their children.
Visit ZeroV (opens in a new tab)National Resource Center on Domestic Violence
Education, research, and resources that strengthen efforts to prevent and end domestic violence.
Visit National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (opens in a new tab)National Network to End Domestic Violence
Advocacy and resources supporting survivors’ safety, housing, economic security, and rights.
Visit National Network to End Domestic Violence (opens in a new tab)National Domestic Violence Hotline
Free, confidential support available 24/7. Call 800-799-7233, text START to 88788, or visit for live chat.
Visit National Domestic Violence Hotline (opens in a new tab)Center for Reproductive Rights
Legal advocacy and information advancing reproductive health, dignity, and self-determination worldwide.
Visit Center for Reproductive Rights (opens in a new tab)National Women’s Law Center
Legal and policy advocacy for gender justice, with resources on work, education, caregiving, and opportunity.
Visit National Women’s Law Center (opens in a new tab)