Mullin at He art .

Bill and Joanne were organizing a class reunion when they learned of one woman, Sharon Cranfill, who was starting a recovery home for Connersville women and trying to renovate an old house for the cause. The Mullins decided to organize fundraising, and now Cranfill’s organization – the House of Ruth Fresh Start Home – boasts state licensing, multiple awards, and five homes, including one named after the Mullin family. While Joanne’s company, J.Mullin Apparel, continues to support this ministry, she also has a reason to give back much closer to home.

Mullin has two sons. Her older son, Matt, had started a job at a (then much smaller) tech company called Zoom. As the company grew, he decided to transfer to the Kansas City office in the hopes of an improved quality of life, and Joanne and Bill followed.

“We came out here for a weekend visit and bought a house,” Joanne says with a laugh. “We love it here and the people are fabulous. I’ve met so many people, and they all try to help each other. It’s not like California, where it felt like everyone was on their own.”

Closer To Home

Meanwhile, the Mullins didn’t know where their younger son was. He had left home for more than two years, and was eventually found living in a parking garage in Austin, Texas.

“He’s been home for about a year now,” Joanne says. “Every time I saw somebody on the street, I thought it was him, and my heart just broke.”

Through this experience, Joanne’s husband began volunteering at a shelter. “It felt like he was helping our son every time

Stylish, roomy, fun,