Attorneys can work together to help Center for Women

SHEPHERDSVILLE - Members of the legal community see first-hand every day some of the struggles that occur in life.

Thomas J. Barr

Attorneys Walt Sholar, Bill Wilson and David Carby were among those helping clean up the facility

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Whether they are prosecutors, defense attorneys or members of judicial system, they understand better than most some of the issues which plague society.

Recently, the Bullitt County Bar Association decided that it wanted to get more involved in the community.

Its first project was helping to provide some manual labor to fix up a new facility for the Center for Women and Families in Shepherdsville.

With a site donated by St. Aloysius Catholic Church, the agency is looking to open a local office. Currently, many of the services are provided through the Louisville facility.

Bill Wilson, president of the Bullitt County Bar Association, said providing the labor to help renovate the facility was a perfect project.

“There’s a lot of work to be done,” Wilson said of the project, which is slated to have its grand opening in October.

“Trina Summers came to the bar association looking for some kinds of assistance,” said Wilson. “It was a perfect project.”

Normally known for their fighting against one another in the courthouse, Wilson said it was an opportunity for the members of the legal community to work on a common goal.

“We don’t all dislike one another,” said Wilson. “It’s just part of our job.”

With Eco-Tech donating dumpsters, the initial workday was spent hauling out a lot of stuff.

When open, Wilson said the center would be a valuable resource for the community. It would provide a safe place for victims to meet with counselors and it would be a place that could provide some respite care.

The importance is recognized as Wilson said various parts of the community are trying to help.

He said District Judge Rebecca Ward is looking to provide some assistance through community service hours. And he said county attorney Walter Sholar was looking to see if some of the jail inmates could assist with the renovation.

“It’s a great community service for a very needed facility,” said Wilson.

And while a lot of hard work was done by people normally seen in suits and dresses, Wilson said the legal community seemed to really enjoy the project and look forward to continued support of the center.

“There were no arguments and no fights,” said Wilson, with a smile. “We need to do things for the community and this is a great project.”

The association will have a run/walk in October to benefit the Court Appointed Special Advocates program in the county.

Sholar said it was an excellent project for the bar association to tackle.

“We all want safety and security for the folks in our community,” said Sholar.

He said attorneys have the obligation to look after the safety of their clients and such a facility is needed in the county.

Despite the hard work, Sholar said he enjoyed helping a worthy cause and having a chance to see others outside the normal environment.

“We can all work together on such a good cause,” said Sholar.

Wilson thanked Skip Hatfield, Eco-Tech and attorneys Dave Carby, Jim Winchell and family, Becky Murrell, Jennifer Lo and family, Robert Schaeffer and family and district judge Rebecca Ward, as well as Sholar.