Cousin of slain Apollo woman found at U-Haul facility works to help those suffering from abuse
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A domestic and sexual abuse survivor is volunteering her decorating talents to help other victims find comfort after fleeing from their abusers.
Jennifer Zimmerman, 52, of Wexford said she escaped from years of mental and physical domestic abuse.
Today, she is focusing her style skills to transform seven rooms at the Center for Victims in the South Side into fully decorated, inviting bedrooms, complete with cozy bedding, lighting and homey touches such as art and blankets to create “safe spaces” for men, women and children.
Zimmerman is still reeling from the death of her cousin, Kelly Steele of Apollo, who was found fatally shot last month in a storage unit at a U-Haul facility in Lower Burrell. Police have charged Steele’s husband, Alfred, with homicide.
Determined to honor the memory of her cousin, Zimmerman is painting shelter rooms inside the Center for Victims blue, Kelly’s favorite color.
“I want them to be sanctuaries and a place of healing,” Zimmerman said. “We will be working to honor Kelly in all projects moving forward.
“My purpose is to create safe spaces. Safe spaces for people to share their stories and safe places to lay their heads. I want to break down the stigma of staying in a shelter.”
Flooring, donated by 84 Lumber, will be installed, and the finished rooms will offer a home-like, private environment for shelter residents.
Mikayla Marie Steele, Kelly’s daughter-in-law, described Zimmerman’s outreach as “awesome.”
“I think that’s a beautiful way to remember Kelly. Blue was her favorite color — it reminded her of the ocean, which she thought was peaceful. If only her life was just that, but I hope others find safety in those shelters,” Mikayla Steele said.
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Zimmerman, an interior designer at Newt & Ruby Interiors in Wexford, said it’s time to change the stereotypical images one may envision at a shelter.
Describing her styles as curated with a mix of old and new, Zimmerman launched her program called Rise last fall.
To date, individual donors and national retailers Tuesday Morning and Washington County-based 84 Lumber have donated to Rise.
Blankets are an essential item, Zimmerman said.
“They represent security just because of the weight and the smell of a clean blanket,” she said. “There’s a reason I think they call it a security blanket.”
Silent no more
Zimmerman wants those living in fear to know she has their back.
“We keep this in silence, and we’re not using our voices. There was a time when I needed to use these services, but I didn’t go out of fear because I didn’t know what to expect when I got there,” Zimmerman said. “I’ll be your voice.”
The Center for Victims is billed as the largest, most comprehensive provider of services and advocacy for victims of all crimes in Pennsylvania. To date, the organization has helped more than 100,000 individuals through awareness and outreach events and programs across Allegheny County, according to its website.
Darnell Drewery, 50, is a trauma education and wellness facilitator at the facility. He said the typical shelter room doesn’t have the level of decorating that Zimmerman will provide.
“Sensory stimulation is a big part of healing,” Drewery said. “That immediate gratification is an important place where someone feels welcome and safe. That’s a huge part of our journey in the shelter.”
For safety reasons and to protect victims’ identities, the Trib was not permitted inside the shelter.
From fear to faith
Zimmerman grew up in Apollo and graduated from Apollo-Ridge High School.
She said she was raped repeatedly by several men on the Indiana University of Pennsylvania campus during her freshman year in the 1980s.
Zimmerman didn’t report the sexual assaults.
“I never followed through pressing charges because I had my life threatened, and I felt the fear and the shame,” she said.
She dropped out of college at 18, eventually told her parents what happened and said she lived with fear, shame and guilt for decades, caught up in a cycle of abuse.
“There’s such redemption in that story because I have been asked on more than one occasion to go back and speak at IUP,” Zimmerman said.
Zimmerman is scheduled to speak about domestic and sexual abuse at IUP this fall.
“I do want people to experience the healing that I’ve experienced,” she said.
Zimmerman said she credits God for her recovery, worshipping at Petra International Ministries in Penn Hills and A Remnant of People Ministries in Homestead.
Encouraging abuse victims to share their story and begin the healing process, in the comfort of an inviting space, is rewarding, she said.
The feedback has been “beautiful,” Zimmerman said.
“This is absolutely my mission,” she said.