Steven Tyler opens Janie’s House

Pre-reading questions:

  1. How do you feel about the violence happening around the world?
  2. What do you think is the best way to help victims of violence?

 

Vocabulary:

  1. sanctuary – a safe and comfortable place
    All she wants is the sanctuary her house offers her after a day’s work.
  2. downtrodden – treated badly or unfairly
    This organization aims to help downtrodden women and children.
  3. iconic – very famous and well-known
    His songs are very iconic.
  4. movement – a group of people with a particular set of aims
    The citizens started a movement to change the government.
  5. grasp – to understand something
    He was finding it difficult to grasp what happened to his mother.
  6. emotional – affected by a strong emotion, especially sadness
    Mary became emotional when she saw her husband.

Steven Tyler, a famous rock star, opened a home for abused and neglected girls just outside of Atlanta. Janie’s House, which opened at Youth Villages’ Inner Harbour campus in Douglasville, Georgia, is a sanctuary for girls. For Steven Tyler, Janie’s House is a realization of a dream to help downtrodden girls. He always knew he wanted to help young women who had been abused. The inspiration to spark this movement started 30 years ago when he wrote Janie’s Got a Gun, an iconic rock song.

Steven Tyler personally met with the residents during the “scarf cutting” ceremony. Some of the residents became emotional greeting Tyler. He stated that it was hard to grasp what the girls have been through and how broken they are. The singer also mentioned that he was inspired to open the home during his stay at a rehab facility, where he met many women who were struggling with abuse. Tyler has high hopes that he’d be able to help these young women better their lives through therapy.

Comprehension Questions:

  1. What is Janie’s House?
  2. Where is Janie’s House located?
  3. Who opened Janie’s House?
  4. When did Steven Tyler meet the residents?
  5. What’s the title of the rock song that inspired Tyler to open the home?

Express Your Opinion:

  1. What do you think about Janie’s House?
  2. What springs to mind when you hear the word “violence”?
  3. How often do you see violence in your country?
  4. What makes people violent?
  5. Do you think Steven Tyler’s music inspires violence? Discuss.