For all of her skilled profession, Aiken native BonnieAnne Fulghum has been combating for the underdog – not solely combating however ensuring the underdogs have an opportunity to succeed and win.
For 10 years as a theater trainer at Redcliffe Elementary School, she was a refuge for troubled youngsters and was a “mommy” for the little boy who was appearing out as a result of he had no household current to share a Thanksgiving program.
For one other 10 years on the Tri-Development Center, she was a powerful advocate for individuals with mental disabilities, together with her son, Dawson, who’s his mom’s greatest cheerleader.
Today, Fulghum helps individuals who have been identified with psychological sickness as the manager director of Mental Health America of Aiken, Barnwell and Edgefield counties.
“You know, my son said it best,” Fulghum stated. “He said Mama loves to help people. Honestly, it’s not a job. I love what I’m doing. It’s kind of my niche.”
Making a house for the homeless
Fulghum has been with Mental Health America since April 2019. The community-based, nonprofit company is an advocacy program for individuals with psychological well being diagnoses.
“It’s basically to give people a voice who don’t have a voice,” Fulghum stated.
Fulghum has been with Mental Health America solely three years, however she already has made an impression, championing the wants of homeless ladies who’ve been identified with psychological sickness at Nurture Home, one of many company’s applications.
Fulghum stated Nurture Home is greater than a “facility.” It’s a house for the homeless.
“It is a family. It is a home,” she stated, “And that’s the way I want it to be because I think that’s part of healing. We’re able to advocate for the women and bring healing for their diagnosis.
“I wanted Nurture Home to be a place of peace where they’re comfortable. It needed to be a haven for people who were homeless. About 96% of the homeless population has an underlying mental health issue.”
Suicide prevention is one other of Mental Health American’s program, and since March 2020, Fulghum has taken 279 suicide disaster calls.
“I never will forget getting off the first suicide call that I had,” she stated. “It was a very traumatic experience. The caller was very desperate. I was just shaken. I said I don’t think I can do this.”
But, once more, Fulghum’s son – and cheerleader – knew completely different.
“My son looked at me and said, ‘Mom, but you’re good at it,’” Fulghum continued. “Here’s my special needs kid saying, Mom, you’re good at this.
“It is sometimes very stressful, but yet, when you get that person to safety and you know they’re going to be OK and you check back in with them later and they’re doing well, you feel really satisfied that you’ve done something right.”
Advocating for unheard voices
Advocating for her particular wants son led Fulghum from her first profession in training to her second on the Tri-Development Center, which offers, promotes and coordinates “community services in Aiken County for individuals with autism, head and spinal cord injuries and intellectual disabilities,” in accordance with its web site.
For a number of years, Fulghum was in some ways the face of the company, coordinating security applications similar to Safe Kids Aiken County and the annual Walk to School Day at North Aiken Elementary School.
She additionally oversaw the Special Olympics held yearly at Midland Valley High School. The standard program permits lots of of kids with mental disabilities and bodily disabilities from Aiken and surrounding counties to compete in a wide range of athletic occasions and simply to have enjoyable with their friends.
“I loved that job, and I thought I would be there forever. It fit me so well. But, honestly, it was my bridge to this – that road that God carves out of you,” Fulghum stated of her place with Mental Health America. “I didn’t realize it was going to take a bend in the road.”
Fulghum stated she at all times will love the individuals she labored with on the Tri-Development Center and the inhabitants they serve, however working at Mental Health America has given her a brand new perspective on individuals with disabilities.
“I thought that the most unheard people in the world were individuals who lived with intellectual disabilities. But I was wrong,” she stated. “The most unheard people in the world are people with mental illness. The reason for that is because people with intellectual disabilities are happy-go-lucky for the most part. People immediately see their deficit, and then they have a heart for that.
“In this world, people don’t have a heart because they see that the person’s intelligence is there, and they don’t understand why they can’t go to work. They don’t understand that depression is debilitating. That it hurts. Not to say that it’s any less difficult of a path to take in life, I just think that people don’t understand mental health. They don’t understand that it’s a chemical process going on in your body just like any other disease.”
For her work, Fulghum gained the state affiliate award for Mental Health America of South Carolina in July.
“That was quite an honor,” she stated. “They had not given it out in about six or seven years.”
Maintaining household roots
Born in Aiken, Fulghum has a coronary heart for and deep roots within the metropolis.
One of her grandfathers was Aiken’s chief of police a few years in the past. A cousin was one of many founders of George Funeral Home. And her first cousin, Rick Osbon, is the present mayor of Aiken.
Her father, Owen Osbon, owned Triple “O” Commercial Art and Printing, and she or he and her mom, Sylvia Anne, ran Sylvia Anne’s Bridal Shop. The home she owns now’s the house her dad and mom introduced her house to from the hospital.
“I lived away from Aiken for two years,” Fulghum stated. “The entire time I lived away from Aiken I would come back home to help my Mom with the bridal shop. I would drive back in, and I would say Aiken is such a pretty little town and Aiken people are so sweet. I still feel that way.
“I don’t always see the pretty side of Aiken now. I see some of the darker sides of Aiken, but I still love it. It’s still at its roots a giving, loving little town, and even the people who are moving in here see that it is a special place to live. I’m proud to say that I’m from Aiken. Aiken is a very loving, giving place, or places like Nurture Home would not exist.”
Growing up on stage
Fulghum obtained her bachelor’s diploma from USC Aiken in communications and theater and was one of many first college students to finish the college’s theater program.
While at USCA, Fulghum competed within the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarships program, successful the state and putting third within the nation. Actress Irene Ryan was greatest recognized for enjoying Granny on “The Beverly Hillbillies,” a success TV present within the Sixties.
Her theater diploma was a pure match for Fulghum, who from an early age was a natural-born performer. She grew up appearing in reveals for the Aiken Community Playhouse, now the Aiken Community Theatre. She performed a doll in “The Mirror Man” in the course of the first season of Garden Theatre in Hopelands Gardens and performed Tillie in “The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds” on the stage of the previous Playhouse on Two Notch Road.
“My favorite thing in the world to do is to act and perform. That’s my very favorite thing: to take on a character role. I love it,” Fulghum stated.
But in all probability Fulghum’s favourite all-time function was as a singing sister within the musical “Nunsense.”
“I love that role,” she stated.
Between work and household, Fulghum hasn’t had time to behave these days however would make an exception for one director.
“If Marcia Harris ever did ‘Nunsense’ again, I would carve out the time to do it,” she stated. “She made it fun, but she’s very professional. I love her for that. She’s very forgiving that you’re human and this is not your job.”
Sharing her voice
Fulghum additionally likes to sing and, when she was 6, sang for First Lady Mamie Eisenhower on the first Heart Benefit present, which on the time was a trend present. Later, she sang for a prince of England when she was the fairy godmother for the Scottish video games.
Today, Fulghum sings along with her church choir at Grace Covenant in New Ellenton. She participated of their senior expertise competitors and gained high vocalist within the state of South Carolina.
Fulghum attended Aiken Day School and St. Angela Academy however graduated from South Aiken High School so she might take part within the U.S. Senate Page program in Washington, D.C. She labored for Aiken’s personal senator, the late Sen. Strom Thurmond, on Capitol Hill. She additionally had the chance to work within the Vice President’s workplace.
“President Bush Sr.’s secretary was out on maternity leave, and I got to go in because I could answer the phones well. That was thanks to the print shop,” Fulghum stated. “I answered this baby blue phone, and they said hold for the president. I got to meet Imelda Marcos. I’ve met six presidents, I think. That’s kind of unique. There were so many amazing things I got to do thanks to being a Thurmond page. I met people from all different walks of life and all different places in our country.”
Experiencing completely different cultures
As a teen, too, Fulghum traveled the world.
Her father, who was a U.S. Navy veteran in the course of the Korean War and witnessed the primary hydrogen bomb explosion within the Marshall Islands throughout Operation Ivy, labored at Fort Gordon in Augusta for almost 50 years. When Pan American Airways took over the contract on the fort, Fulghum bought entry to close limitless air journey, usually first-class.
“It was nothing to go to Europe, Hong Kong, South America, all 50 states,” she stated. “It was a great childhood because you jumped on an airplane. My sister and I were airline brats. We’d go to amazing places and see that the world’s not all the same everywhere you go. I think that gave me a love for the difference of people. I think I’m more accepting of different cultures because of that experience.”
Fulghum married her highschool sweetheart, Warren Fulghum, who’s the deputy tax collector for Aiken County. After Fulghum took over the Miss Aiken County pageant, she and her husband later grew to become employees for the Miss South Carolina pageant. She was the fairy godmother for Miss South Carolina for 10 years and went on to be the fairy godmother for Miss America. Her son’s encouragement of contestants gave her the concept to begin the Miss South Carolina pageant’s Palmetto Prince program.
“So far in my few years on Earth, I have had the most wonderful life,” she stated.
Getting artful
Although Fulghum doesn’t have a lot time for extracurricular actions, she enjoys crafting, particularly making paper crafts. But she nonetheless finds a strategy to match her love of crafts into her work.
Before Thanksgiving, she and residents of Nurture Home made craft gadgets to promote on the annual Bagels and Bloodies, which advantages Mental Health America.
“We did little stocking stuffers,” Fulghum stated. “It’s therapeutic for them, and they also can raise a little bit of money so they can buy each other gifts.”
Fulghum additionally initiated a craft program to acknowledge Mental Health Month in May. The ladies from Nurture Home created ornamental work on rocks and included encouraging messages similar to “Hope,” “Peace” or “You got this.” They then planted the rocks round city for individuals to search out.
“We were planting 100 rocks a day, and by the time we finished planting them, they were gone,” Fulghum stated. “Our 300 rocks we had planted for the whole month of May were gone in a week.”
The subsequent yr, Fulghum superior the mission by placing a QR code of the again of the rocks to drive finders to the Mental Health America’s web site.
“I got this call from this lady, and she said I just want to thank you for planting those rocks,” Fulghum stated. “She said I was desperate when she came to Aiken, and I went into Hopelands Gardens and found one of your rocks. Then I looked at your website and got the help that I needed. Just knowing that you affected, with all the rocks you painted, one person was amazing.”
This yr, this system went statewide.
“I took it to a state event, and people from all over the state wanted to replicate it,” she stated. “It’s kind of a neat feeling to know you started something that went statewide.”
Pulling individuals off bridges
In addition to combating for the underdog, Fulghum stated she is most enthusiastic about “pulling people off of bridges,” and her job at Mental Health America has given her that chance – actually.
About six months after taking the place, Fulghum and her household had been touring to the mountains when visitors backed up. As they bought to a bridge, she noticed a younger man on the bridge.
“My husband pulled off the road, and I told an officer I was trained and asked did he need somebody to help,” she stated. “He said our negotiator is an hour away. Would you please come with us? I will never forget reaching across that bridge and that guy grabbing my hands and me pulling him back over that bridge.
“I feel like every time I take a crisis call that’s what I’m doing: I’m pulling that person back over that bridge. That life is so important. So being able to be there in that moment – that 30 seconds where you can say your life is worth something, you’re worth something. Let’s talk about this. Let’s reel this back in. That’s so important to me, and I guess that’s the one thing that I’m most passionate about is saving that life that is on the edge that needs that extra TLC just for that few minutes.”
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