Founded in 2022, Renewal Cleaning Services provides expert cleaning solutions for homes
and offices, while also supporting the Indianapolis community through service. Owner Mel
Barnett began the business to help survivors of childhood abuse like herself find a space to
improve their lives.
As a child, Mel was consistently sexually, emotionally, mentally and physically abused by the parents who adopted her at birth. At age 15, she went on to live in 12 foster homes, aging out of the system at the end of her junior year of high school. In an attempt to finish high school, she was able to find friends who could transport her from shelters to classes daily.
Today, Mel is most thankful for those foster families, the woman she calls “mom,” the
communities and the village that have continued to be lighthouses for her. She is a third-
generation foster child raising three beautifully courageous daughters, with a dad that fiercely loves them. Mel seeks to give access to the same lessons and opportunities she was afforded, thanks to the care and guidance of those who came alongside her.
Renewal Cleaning Services provides sustainable employment opportunities to abuse
survivors, as well as shines a light on the skills and characteristics of the people living in the wake of traumatic experiences. Mel tries to help achieve positive outcomes for her employees through meticulous training, daily check-ins, flexibility in schedule and participating in a life care group through our partners at Dathouse Inc., an nonprofit organization in Indianapolis.
