Donate

Giving Tuesday November Newsletter

Nov 29, 2017 | Uncategorized

Dear Friends of The Sunny Center,
One of our most recent traditions that embodies all that is good in the world, is the idea of Giving Tuesday. Although the concept originated in the US, Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and the spirit of giving, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. So we are reaching out to all our friends and supporters in the US and around the globe to connect on this Giving Tuesday!  

OUR GUESTS AND VISITORS

Floyd Bledsoe (Photo by Mark Schotte)

We are still in touch with former guests, working to relocate one of our former guests, and with a team of people, along with our Italian friends, to help another of our exoneree guests to improve his life. We have two more recently exonerated guests scheduled for December. And one of our exonerees has had a baby!  Congratulations to Floyd and Amanda Bledsoe! We are hoping to have their little family visit us in 2018.
 
We are working with a man due to be exonerated in California. He is awaiting the final outcome of the negotiations on whether to retry him. We are expecting him to come to the Sunny Center in 2018. This is the first time we’ve had a chance to work with someone before being released. And we are very grateful to his attorney for his assistance, as well as to the Sisters of St. Joseph for the promise of accommodation for him upon his release. Everything is easier when we all work together!

OUR VOLUNTEERS ​

Tress, Peter and our chicken friend!

We got a lovely Thanksgiving message from our former volunteer Tress, who said:There are no words to express how deeply thankful I am to have Sunny Omslice and Peter Pringle in my life. I have learned more in the short time I have known them than I ever thought possible. How to be thankful. When to let go. The strength to find compassion when I normally would choose apathy. And most surprisingly, when to celebrate. 
Thank you both for being the most genuinely kind and good people I know.

OUR FURRY FRIENDS

Barney and Trixie standing guard.

The goats went away again, stayed away two days, two nights, and a wild male goat escorted them home again. More kids are in our future, we think!  Trixie the cat now goes on walks with the dogs. She’s decided she wants to be a dog. But the important thing is all our furry friends are happy and bring great joy to us, our volunteers and, most importantly, our guests. k here to edit.

OUR ACTIVISM ​

The cast of The Exonerated at the Town Hall Theatre.

In the past month, we did a program in the UK for Amicus, a small charity that trains young lawyers to come to the US to help death penalty cases. As a result of our participation in the documentary film “Fallout,” focusing on the after affects of wrongful conviction, we were invited to speak before the European Union Parliament. They were very interested in finding ways to help and there was much discussion about establishing exonerees as Torture Victims, with international status and entitlement to assistance. 

We also staged a one-day-only performance of The Exonerated at the Town Hall Theatre in Galway as a fundraiser for the Sunny Center. It was a very successful event, in which we were able to partner with African immigrant asylum seekers who play the parts of the African-American men in the play. It was a very meaningful partnership, which has developed into a number of friendships. We became aware that there is a parallel between being an immigrant seeking asylum and being an exoneree as both groups face similar difficulties.
 
One of the satisfactions of our work is when we hear back from people who have been touched in some way by our story. Here’s a message we got this month:
 
Hi Sunny and Peter,



I was touched by your stories as told through Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom. I just wanted to leave a note for you both and say to you how inspiring you both are as beacons of light, love, peace, and forgiveness. Hearing your stories was encouraging that real forgiveness exist and shines through the most treacherous of circumstance.

Thank you for sharing your stories.
 
Sarah

DO YOU WANT TO SUPPORT THE SUNNY CENTER?

We are so grateful for the support we have received and continue to receive. Every donation, large or small, helps make our work possible. This Tuesday, November 28, is Giving Tuesday, a day of giving that starts off the charity season. In honor of that, if you would like to make an online donation, please use the Support The Sunny Center use this link.

Donations by check may be mailed to:

​Sunny Center 
332 Bleecker Street
G11
New York, NY 10014
United States

DO YOU WANT TO HELP?

We always welcome the energy, enthusiasm and help of our volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering, please visit our website at thesunnycenter.com and write to us!

STAY CONNECTED ​

There are many ways you can assist our work at the Sunny Center:

  • You can spread the word about what we do by talking to a friend, sharing on social media or inviting us to talk at your organization or University. 
  • You can volunteer here at the center as we always welcome an extra pair of hands and a generous heart. 
  • You can donate air miles so that we can bring Exonerees to stay with us. 
  • You can make a financial gift, which is our most pressing need at the moment. 
  • And lastly, you can continue to receive this newsletter, keep us in your hearts and offer whatever assistance you might to make this a just world. 

So dear friends, we thank you for being in our lives; we thank you for your support; we thank you for working together with us to make the Dream of a better life happen for so many!
 
Peace and love, 
Sunny and Peter 

Remembering Peter

My dear Peter is gone.
We sang him home on the last day of the year, gathered around his bedside as we had done for so many days before.

‘Send them green.’ A special message from a Sunny Center supporter!

“I had the wonderful opportunity to be a guest at the Sunny Center this past July. My first trip to Ireland, it always is a magical moment to visit friends who live overseas…”

Exonerees are succeeding, thanks to you!

Helping people exonerated of crimes they did not commit, setting them back on the path to a fulfilling life, is a monumental task that we depend on the dedication of volunteers, both near and far, to achieve.

Even in summer, the work doesn’t stop

We’re in midsummer now, with its long days that stretch until 11 in the evening here in Ireland. It’s a busy time for everyone and everything.

The power of art to heal and renew

Did you know that Peter was a woodworker and an artist? He created so many things. But more importantly, he taught those skills to other Exonerees when they visited the Center.

Looking for green shoots

Photo by Samantha Bookman. Peter and I chose to situate the Sunny Healing Center here in this beautiful location in the west of Ireland. A newcomer may at first see only a barren, rocky, windswept landscape. But, put your hand on the earth here, and you can feel the...

A message from Sunny about Peter

The time has come to say farewell to our dear Peter, who is in the process of transitioning from this body and this plane.

Finding Peace, Joy and Hope

The events in Ukraine over the past several days have been ever-present in all of our lives through the daily news and constant social media. These times can be especially difficult for Exonerees because of the traumas they are working to overcome.

Love Is Always the Answer

Winter is always a little bit quieter than the rest of the year. After a long day spent maintaining the Sunny Healing Center and getting it ready for visitors, it’s time for us to cuddle up with the kittens and, of course, Barney, on chilly winter evenings with a warm fire in the hearth.

A Happy, Healthy and Healing New Year to All

Love has no barriers and no limits. And neither does our gratitude for your continuing support and friendship. Know that you are never alone, because you are part of our family.

Happy Holidays to Our Friends Near and Far!

These are extraordinary times. And you’ve all been extraordinary supporters. Thanks to you, we’ve been able to keep helping Exonerees in the midst of a global emergency.