Help PASAC Save Lives, Tile by Tile

Leave it to the Purchase Area Sexual Assault Center (PASAC) staff and volunteers to come up with one of the most creative and meaningful fundraising ideas around: 6x6 ceramic tiles.

What’s so special about 6x6 ceramic tiles?

Well, when you buy one — or more — you’ll make a much-needed financial contribution to support the organization’s great work and you’ll help create beautiful mosaics throughout PASAC’s Paducah campus at 1605 N. Friendship Rd.

The tiles are just $100 apiece. Decorate them yourself with inspirational messages and images, commission an artist to whip them up for you or just let the PASAC team do the decorating. The tiles’ messages of hope, faith, support and love serve as visual reinforcement that help and healing are on the way.

As you can see from photographer Jeff Nash’s images, the mosaics are stunning and beautifully displayed throughout PASAC’s new Expressive Therapy Center, which opened in March. In fact, tile sales helped fund the center, where children share their feelings through art, crafts and yoga.

“These tiles are wonderful because, while I know I’ve made a financial donation, I feel like there’s a part of me now at PASAC, offering hope to somebody,” says Kathleen Sullivan Cockrel, who purchased a tile in memory of her brother, Michael. “It’s a wonderful way of feeling like we’re doing more than simply giving money.”

One PASAC supporter purchased a tile as a Valentine’s gift for her husband. The Zonta Club purchased five to spell out the club’s name. Judge Chris Hollowell, Carol Gault, Dr. Pamela Hodges, the Charity League, Grace Episcopal Church and the Merryman House are among the many who’ve purchased tiles.

PASAC Executive Director Mary Foley, Clinical Services Director Lori Brown and the rest of the staff would like for us all to buy a whole bunch more. They need to raise $30,000 to transform a storage building into a Child Advocacy Center — the sooner, the better. That’s a lot of tiles. But with other donations and grants, the group anticipates renovation to begin shortly.

With the help of tile sales, this storage building will be transformed into PASAC’s Child Advocacy Center.

PASAC staff members need the extra space because this summer the state asked that they begin examining and interviewing children who are victims of any kind of abuse and neglect. The information the staff collects is now used to help law enforcement and social services prosecute abusers.

Currently, the PASAC team examines some of the children in their regular exam rooms, with Dr. Melissa Whitson examining most of them at her Morgan-Hough Clinic in Mayfield. Having a dedicated building on PASAC’s Paducah campus will enable the team to see more children — and thereby help lessen Dr. Whitson’s already full caseload.

One of the many beautiful mosaics inside PASAC’s Expressive Therapy Center.

“We began doing these exams on July 1 and have been shocked by the number of abuse cases in our area,” Foley says. “I’m sorry to say that the need here is great. Our role is to provide quality exams very quickly to help prosecute these cases. This additional building will really make a difference.”

To order a tile or, better yet, multiple tiles, call PASAC at 534.4422 or simply download this PDF. What a great, simple way to make a lasting and beautiful gift.

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