Steven Tyler opens Janie’s House for abused girls
Steven Tyler opened a home for abused girls on Wednesday.
Tyler, 69, was on hand at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Janie’s House, named after his hit Aerosmith song “Janie’s Got a Gun” and his charity, Janie’s Fund, which seeks to fight abuse of girls and young women.
Janie’s House, located in Atlanta, is the first home Tyler and Janie’s Fund have opened since the organization was founded in late 2015.
The shelter can house up to 30 girls, where it also provides therapy and medical care for residents.
“[Janie’s House] takes young girls in,” Tyler told TMZ on Wednesday. “It’s got a staff, it’s got some therapists, it’s got people for them to talk to and it’s got people for them to [help] deal with health issues.”
Tyler said that his own experience both as a musician and in a 12-step rehabilitation program inspired him to give a voice to abuse survivors that they may not have been otherwise able to develop.
“When girls come in and they’re broken and battered and have their problems and get out, they have somewhere to go,” Tyler said. “It’s a safe haven, and more than anything, it gives them a voice. That’s what we want in the end, for them to be able to figure out what’s going on and be good from the inside out and pass it on.”