We have been enjoying visitors to our home as well as our own travels to America and back again. As we continue to connect with so many humanitarians and human rights activists wherever we go around the globe, we are reminded that this world is full of good people who believe in justice. We count you among them and we are very grateful for your continued support for the work we do and the exonerees whom we serve.
OUR GUESTS AND VISITORS
Amy, a former volunteer and now a board member, has been interning with an innocence project during her summer vacation from law school, and paid a visit to Jason, one of our family of Exonerees. They became friends at the Sunny Center and are maintaining the bonds of family and friendship that began here. We are so proud of them both!
Jason is studying and interning at a local TV studio and plans to make documentary films. He is a role model for others to follow.
Uriah, who came here two years ago, is finishing an apprenticeship as a pipe fitter and has a new wife and family. They were married last year. Uriah is another role model.
Ron has successfully faced down lung cancer and celebrated his birthday this past week.
Joseph was able to get his own apartment after five years living in a group home. With the help of a special donor, we were able to provide Joseph with an air conditioner and are also helping another exoneree to relocate to a more permanent, secure location where he can have the possibility of a decent future.
We celebrate these family members and their continued growth and success and happiness!!!
Sadly, too many in our Exoneree family live in loneliness and poverty. We are trying to remedy that, presently, one at a time. In the future, we hope to be able to provide a better start to our Exoneree members with the help of social workers who want to be part of the healing and recovery process. With Dr. Lloyd Lyter, from Pennsylvania, at the forefront of these efforts, and our coordinator, Anne, and her social work background and connections, we have plans to do this on a larger scale in the future.
This month we look forward to welcoming our first Exoneree couple! Many of our younger Exonerees have established loving relationships, and we look forward to hosting them and their partners in our home.
OUR VOLUNTEERS
Our volunteer, Georgie, has fit right into our happy little home, particularly with the furry friends who live with us. The dogs, and even the cats, have enjoyed their walks with Georgie up on the hills, although, sometimes they have to take an alternate route to avoid the neighbourhood cows and their calves. When it rains, all cuddle up on the sofa together.
Georgie and Peter transplanted the two apple trees that were given to us by a volunteer, moving them to a permanent position. And we have some lovely apples on one of our older trees!
The cabbage and kale are all proliferating as are the herbs in the raised bed outside. And the roses are blossoming profusely. These are happy times at the Sunny Center!!!
OUR ACTIVISM
This was a very active month of activism for us! We traveled to Salem, Massachusetts to help commemorate the 325th anniversary of the Salem Witch Trials. Salem State University hosted a special screening of “The Exonerated” film, followed by a conversation between Sunny, Peter and Anne Driscoll and then a Q&A with the audience. While in Salem, we also met up with members of the Salem State University social work faculty and our friend Dr. Lloyd Lyter, who is director of the MSW program at East Stroudsberg University in Pennsylvania, to discuss partnering social work programs with exonerees in order to provide support services to ease their post-release transition.
We have yet to reach our goal in order to put on a performance of the play the “Exonerated” as a fundraiser for the Sunny Center in November. We still need to raise more funds. Every little bit helps!
OUR FURRY FRIENDS
This past month, we saw the birth of three new kids!!! Louie was born to Lama, and twins Jack and Jill were born to Rosie. They are all thriving and bring great joy to us as they jump and play together. Peter has also built a special pathway to make it easier for Sunny to get down to the goats. She is socialising them and teaching them their names, while Peter and Georgie milk their mamas. And, while all that is going on, our hens have taken to laying eggs in the goat house!
STAY CONNECTED
Peace and Love,
Sunny and Peter