THE GOLDEN DUO

Judy Gilkerson and Renee Harrison

Founder and Executive Director, Golden Girl Group Home

SUPERPOWERS: Breaking cycles

Judy Gilkerson had just returned to her West Virginia roots. She was newly married, about to turn 40, expecting her third child, and coming up with a plan for a group home. She purchased an old house in Ceredo and set out to open a home for abused and neglected teen girls in need. Gilkerson hoped that Golden Girl Group Home (GGGH)—opened in 1984—would serve as a safe place for the girls, a reprieve from their heartache.

Gilkerson’s daughter Renee Harrison brought her new husband to West Virginia to act as house parents for one year and assist Gilkerson as the facility grew. But when Gilkerson’s husband was transferred to Florida for work, she and her toddler were flying back and forth while she continued to oversee operations at GGGH, and it became too much. “She said, ‘We can close, or you can come on as acting director,’” Harrison recalls. Gilkerson remained active with the home, returning regularly and counseling remotely. She came back to the campus full-time in 2018 and has been living at the apartments, overseeing resident girls in the Transitional Living program.

Through the years, the home has grown substantially. Originally one house hosting eight residents, GGGH now consists of four houses. The vision grew to include transitional living, a recreation facility, the Golden Hearts Apartment Complex, the Golden Minds Center for Learning and Development, and the Golden Treasures Resale Shop. Dozens of activities and services are available, from psychological care and counseling to nursing, group therapy, and recreational events.

Between 900 and 1,000 girls have been through the home. “When I think back, I see individual faces and what they’ve been through,” Harrison says. “Hopefully, we’ve planted some good core memories.”

The mother and daughter have seen girls come full circle, spending their teen years and beyond at the home and leading successful lives. Some even return to the home to remember the place that loved and supported them when they needed it most.

WRITTEN BY JULIE PERINE

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Since 2014 WV Living magazine has been honoring West Virginia Wonder Women, amazing women who are raising the bar in their communities, serving as beacons of light in their industries, and forcing change for the greater good. WV Living is proud to celebrate these Appalachian mothers, millennials, and mavens proving that in a time full of uncertainty, divisiveness, and hate, love for one another is all we really need. No need for bulletproof bracelets or a golden lasso of truth—these women are creating a better West Virginia with their can-do attitudes and Mountain State spirit.