Turnaround Resource Center Inc

Rent the Building or Get a Tattoo: The Story of Turnaround Resource Center 

In the summer of 2017, standing at a crossroads with a meager inheritance from my grandmother, I faced an impossible choice: rent a room for three months or commemorate my grandmother with a tattoo. The room won out, and thus began the improbable journey of the Turnaround Resource Center, established as a sanctuary for those seeking to escape their current circumstances. 

The year 2017 marked a turning point in my life. It was a year riddled with profound loss: the deaths of all three grandparents within six months, the passing of a mentor who had been my guiding star for over three decades, and the loss of my job. Everything I had known and loved seemed to vanish, leaving me adrift. Yet, it was in this chaos that Turnaround Resource Center found its genesis. 

On September 7, 2017, I signed the lease and received the keys to what would become a beacon of hope for many. Armed with knowledge, wisdom, and three decades of ministry work, but no job, I laid my hopes and prayers before the Lord, stepping into what many deemed madness. My family thought I was crazy. My children were terrified, and my then-husband dismissed it as my mission alone. Little did I know, a greater plan was unfolding. 

Fast forward to the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when the world stood still, and governments scrambled to control the spread of the virus. For the Turnaround Resource Center, this period became a crucible of purpose. As local governments struggled, and our community's sole store—a Dollar General—closed intermittently, many in Lebanon Junction faced dire straits. Our unemployment system faltered, and resources dwindled. Yet, in this darkness, Turnaround shone brightly.

What started as a modest distribution of 25 food boxes weekly soon ballooned to over 1,000 boxes. With businesses shuttered and surplus food destined for landfills, we became the lifeline for countless families. Throughout the pandemic, we stayed open, providing food for over 85,000 people across Kentucky, some even from Indiana and southern Tennessee. People came with trailers to haul the bounty of food we received from local distributors. 

In this time of need, we were blessed with an additional location—an old building from 1931, vacant for 25 years. It required immense work and funding. Yet, through the dedication of volunteers who contributed 90,000 man-hours and the generosity of donors who provided $250,000, we transformed it into the Turnaround Community Kitchen. Here, we served around 200 meals four days a week, with close to 100 meals delivered to shut-ins. By the end of 2023, we had fed over 82,000 individuals. 

Many assumed that post-pandemic, the demand would subside. However, the nonprofit world doesn't operate on such timelines. Needs persisted and grew. Turnaround continued to be a vital resource, offering help, information, and direction to those in need.

In 2024, we were offered a building from a dissolving nonprofit that had focused on housing women with children facing homelessness. Recognizing this as the final piece of our puzzle, we embraced this new chapter. Since 2017,  Turnaround had been feeding and clothing people, and by 2023, we were caring for widows and infants. Now, in 2024, we were poised to provide shelter, addressing a critical need in our community.

 This is the journey of Turnaround Resource Center, a journey far from over. Each day, we continue to help people turn their lives around, driven by the belief that their current situation is not their final destination. And so, as we step into this new phase, we remember that this is not the end but a new beginning—the "INN" where those in desperate times find hope and a place to find a sanctuary in the hardest seasons of their lives as well.   

P.S.  A wonderful friend got me a Plunder bracelet that has my Grandmother's signature on it

 ( what the tattoo would have looked like ) so i got the Building and a Bracelet.   

Jennie Fleming 

Founder, Executive  Director  

Turnaround Resource Center