YouTube Podcast - Southaven Business Beat

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Sarita Drake is the Executive Director of the House of Grace, a domestic violence shelter serving Southaven, DeSoto County, and the greater Memphis metro area. What most people do not know is that eleven years ago, she moved into that shelter with her two daughters as a client.

She spent nearly 30 years in a domestic violence situation without knowing what it was called. The night she moved in, she sat down with the intake paperwork and checked yes to every question on the cycle of violence sheet. That was the first time she understood what had been happening to her.

In this episode of Southaven Business Beat, host Debbie King sits down with Lorine Cady, founder of the House of Grace, and Sarita Drake, the woman who now leads it.

Topics covered in this episode:

• Why Lorine Cady founded the House of Grace after years of resisting the call
• How law enforcement, churches, and the public were educated about domestic violence in DeSoto County
• What it felt like to check yes to every question on the intake form and finally have a name for it
• Why Sarita says the unknown future was less scary than the danger she already knew
• What the House of Grace needs now to grow and serve more women and children
• The case for transitional housing that allows survivors to stay up to a year
• How to get help, get involved, and donate

CHAPTERS
0:00 Coming Up
0:00:08 Welcome and Introducing Lorine Cady and Sarita Drake
0:00:29 What Led Lorine to Found the House of Grace
0:00:55 God Kept Asking and She Kept Saying No
0:05:13 The Night She Said Yes and Called Every County Agency
0:06:26 The First Meeting at City Hall and Who Showed Up
0:07:15 Changing the Word From Victim to Survivor
0:09:21 Sarita Reflects on 14 Years of Watching Women Transform
0:10:04 Sarita Drake Tells Her Own Story
0:11:16 Moving Into the House of Grace With Her Two Daughters
0:12:41 Checking Yes to Every Question on the Intake Form
0:13:28 The Two Things House of Grace Tells Every Survivor
0:15:37 Breaking the Cycle for Men, Women, and Children
0:16:23 Getting the Word Out: If You See Something, Say Something
0:18:02 Crisis Calls, Partnerships, and What Comes Next
0:19:16 Was She Scared? Her Answer Says Everything
0:20:25 The Case for Transitional Housing in DeSoto County
0:21:51 The Role of Church, Mental Health, and Community
0:26:10 How to Get Help, Donate, or Get Involved
0:29:43 Closing and DeSoto County Trailblazer Recognition

If you know someone who needs help or you want to support this work in the Mid-South, visit the House of Grace online. The shelter serves women and children across 7 to 11 counties in North Mississippi and the Memphis metro area.

This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation with Lorine Cady. Part 1 covers how Lorine helped build Southaven from 843 residents into one of Mississippi's fastest-growing cities. Watch it here: https://youtu.be/7IZzIqxp4mU

Southaven Business Beat is produced by Pure Focus Media in partnership with the Southaven Chamber of Commerce.

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She Was in Domestic Violence for Almost 30 Years and Didn't Know It Had a Name

July 6, 2026 9:00 am

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