Pictures were placed sporadically throughout the family room of Charlene Pullins’ childhood home.
One here, one there with no symmetry, rhyme nor reason.
“You wouldn’t believe the holes in our family room where he would shoot at her,” Pullins said Thursday at an event marking the opening of Hope’s Wings, Madison County’s new domestic violence shelter for women and children. “Now, if he wanted to kill her, he would have because he was a really good shot. But, you wouldn’t believe how the pictures were placed all over that room to cover up the bullet holes.”
Pullins, who was one of many supporters of the Hope’s Wings project, was able to hang pictures neatly in a shelter room she dedicated to the memory of her mother.
She shared her story in front of a large crowd Thursday, where she was joined by several local dignitaries from local and state government.
Pullins retired as a teacher at Berea Community Schools and also taught at Eastern Kentucky University.
She made sure to educate herself after watching her mother suffer through a severely abusive marriage.
“As soon as I was old enough to know what a divorce was, I would beg her to get a divorce,” Pullins recalled. “She would say, ‘Now, Char, I don’t have that diploma or that certificate. I would have to wash dishes in a restaurant and I couldn’t support you.’ And I really thought that was true. I thought well, it’s my fault that she has to stay here. But as an adult, I realized that she knew he would kill her, and he would have if she left.”
Pullins said she was happy to have the Hope’s Wings facility in Madison County.
“I wish we had 10,000 more of them,” she said.
The shelter grew from an idea of a group of people from the First Christian Church of Richmond. From there, it blossomed into what it is today, which is a 16-bed facility with many community and government supporters.
Pullins was preceded by words from: state Rep. Harry Moberly, D-Richmond; state Sen. Ed Worley, D-Richmond; Richmond Mayor Connie Lawson; Madison Judge-Executive Kent Clark; Walter Tangel, instructor at the Kentucky Leadership Institute at the Department of Criminal Justice; and Nicole Pang, director of the Office of Victims Advocacy for the Attorney General’s Office.
The facility has been named The Marilyn Isaacs House in memory of the daughter of Jewell Isaacs, who helped with the acquisition of five acres of land for the facility’s construction.
Hope’s Wings now operates as a tax-free, charitable organization.
Robyn Moreland serves as the executive director of Hope’s Wings, and Kim DeCoste is chair of Hope’s Wings’ administrative board.
DeCoste talked emotionally Thursday about a vision she had more than 10 years ago.
“I visualized a mother pushing her small child on a swing on a sunny day,” she said. “It was peaceful. They were laughing and they felt safe. I’m excited that today we are actually on the cuff of having that dream come true. There are so many people who have had an active role in making our vision a reality. We don’t have the swing up yet, but I think that’s coming.”
The facility will continue to operate on donations and is in constant need of items such as food, clothing (for women and children), person hygiene items, twin-sized sheets, blankets, etc.
The community can volunteer in several ways, including planning or attending a fundraiser, volunteering to mentor a victim or tutor a child, cooking a meal at the facility, providing Christmas gifts for the children, teaching a self-sustainability class or helping prepare tax returns for the victims.
To learn more about ways to donate or how to refer someone to the facility, call 623-4095 or toll free at 1-877-HOPE-040.
Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 623-1669, Ext. 234.
Local News
Related Photos
-
Nancy Taggart
Domestic violence shelter opens
- Local News
-
-
Measuring education
Brent Ray, a local contractor, helps Kit Carson Elementary third-graders Nathan Buck and Anijah Rembert measure an outside wall Thursday morning during a class project to determine the perimeter of the school. The third-grade class broke into groups to measure sections of the outside walls which they used to find the perimeter.
-
Kiwanis auction Saturday at City Hall
The annual Richmond Kiwanis Club auction will take place Saturday from 9 a.m. until about 5 p.m. with proceedings carried live on TimeWarner Cable Channel 12 and WEKY 1340 AM Radio.
“We have lots of great stuff, as we always do,” said Amanda Stepp, the auction coordinator.
“We have gift cards for almost every restaurant in Richmond as well as two pickup trucks that will be sold,” she said. -
Man pleads guilty to voyeurism charge
A man accused of taking pictures of a woman showering at a Berea truck stop was sentenced to probation Wednesday in Madison District Court.
Paul S. Byrd, 41, of McKee, was arrested Oct. 29 by the Kentucky State Police after a woman reported the incident at the 76 Truck Center off Interstate 75. -
Berea one of state’s first five cultural districts
The Kentucky Arts Council on Thursday named Berea one of the state’s first five certified cultural districts.
Although the legislature designated Berea the state’s Arts and Crafts Capital in the 1990s, this newest designation will draw even more attention and tourism to the city, said Belle Jackson, Berea’s tourism director. -
LRC plans to appeal judge’s HB1 ruling
The leadership of the General Assembly announced Thursday it plans to appeal Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd’s ruling that the legislature’s plan to re-draw state legislative boundaries is unconstitutional.
-
Facebook post leads to arrest
A post on the Richmond Police Department’s Facebook page led to the arrest of a man suspected of stealing two Blu-Ray players from Walmart.
Walmart employees reported to police Jan. 25 that a man had concealed the electronics under his coat and attempted to leave the store without paying, said Richmond Police Chief Larry Brock in a news release. -
Four indicted in Berea murder case
The death of a Berea man and the attempted murder of another came at the hands of four people, according to indictments handed down Wednesday by a Madison grand jury.
-
Friday at library : Lecturer to portray founder of Berea
John G. Fee, abolitionist and founder of both Berea and Berea College, will be portrayed Friday night by performer Obadiah Ewing-Roush as part of Kentucky Humanities Council Chautauqua performance series at the Madison County Public Library. There is no charge to attend the 7 p.m. event.
As the son of a slave-holding father, Fee witnessed firsthand the benefits of having slaves and the profits that could be made from their labor. When he graduated from college and enrolled in Lane Theological Seminary, he began to understand the inherent wrong and destructiveness of slavery. -
Berea woman dies Tuesday in Laurel County crash
A Berea woman, Tommie Johnson, 60, died Tuesday evening in a Laurel County crash, according to the the Laurel Sheriff’s Office.
The accident took place about 7 p.m. at the junction of Maple Grove Road and KY 363 south of London, as Johnson was attempting to turn onto the state highway.
Laurel County Chief Deputy Eddy Sizemore said Johnson’s Chevrolet Cavalier pulled out in front of a Dodge Durango driven by Charles Joseph, 19, that was traveling south on KY 363.
After being extricated from her vehicle, Johnson was transported to St. Joseph-London hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Joseph also was transported to the hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries, according to the accident report. -
Finally February
Ian Rosser, an Eastern Kentucky University student from Lexington, clears snow from his car parked on campus Wednesday
morning after about an inch of snow fell in Richmond. Temperatures are forcast to be in the upper 40s today. Kentucky has seen a lot of rain in the past few months, as was predicted by the Farmer's Almanac, but very little snow has fallen. - More Local News Headlines
-
Denver's Largest-Ever Drug Bust Nets Dozens
Marines: No Punishment for Nazi-like Flag
Vets Look to Translate Military Skills Into Jobs
Expert: Removing LA School's Staff 'Appropriate'
Raw Video: School Bus Burst Into Flames
LA School Reopens Amid Sex Abuse Scandal
$25B Settlement Reached Over Foreclosure Abuses
Pentagon: Allow Women Closer to Front Lines
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
