September 2019 Newsletter

Sep 16, 2019 | Uncategorized

Dear Friends of The Sunny Center,

Our new home, the new Sunny Center, and our old home in the distance 

As you can see in the photo above, this is our new home in the foreground, and the old Sunny Center in the distance – which makes us think about perspective and the roads we travel to get where we are. It’s not very far between here and there, but for us, it reflects a lifetime of work and life experience that puts us in this particular place, at this particular time, with this particular perspective.
 
From this view, we can see both the future and the past. Since 2014 when the Sunny Center began, we have been blessed to have opened our home to scores of exoneree guests with whom we have danced, sang, eaten meals, meditated, gardened and shared our stories. And through these shared experiences, we have found healing and hope. As we move forward into the future, we are now better able than ever before to offer more exonerees the support and assistance they most assuredly deserve. 

Of course, we are also well aware that none of this would be possible without each and every one of you. You are the foundation of our work. You are our rock. And for that, we thank you. Please keep the Sunny Center going into that future with a donationtoday. And consider a recurring donation, of any size, so that our foundation remains as secure and solid as the stonewalls that crisscross this landscape. THANK YOU! 

OUR EXONEREE GUESTS AND VISITORS

Our furry friend leads the way home

We have been busy getting our home ready for our next exoneree guest, putting up curtains and installing shelves – adding all the finishing touches that will make our home as comfy and welcoming as possible. Of course, sometimes there are the finishing touches that have to happen on the other end, such as finalizing passports or visas and arranging for flights. But we look forward to our next guest with great anticipation. 

In the meantime, Dorothy, our exoneree outreach coordinator in Florida, is working really hard to keep things running smoothly at the community residence there, as well as to raise awareness for the needs of exonerees. She is finding that the Tampa community has been very receptive to our efforts to provide the only community residence for exonerees of its kind in the world!  

OUR VOLUNTEERS

Picture


Mike helps Peter move the henhouse
Omaira is a future volunteer from Sweden
Amarylis is our volunteer from Cuba 

This past month, there has been a volunteer corps of helpers hailing from as close as a neighboring house to as far away as Cuba. And we are expecting a future volunteer from Sweden. They are valued members of the Sunny Center family – without whom we could not operate. This month, Mike helped Peter get the henhouse set up and others have been helping with transplanting our garden plants. Further afield, we also now have a new volunteer lawyer Daniela who is helping us in Florida with operational matters, as they arise. We are thankful for all their help! For anyone who would like to volunteer, please use this link to get in touch. 


OUR FURRY AND FEATHERED FRIENDS

Millie comfy in kitchen chair
Millie from new heights

Now that the move is complete, the hens have their henhouse. The dogs have their doghouses. And Millie? Well Millie just makes herself comfortable, wherever. If she’s not napping in a comfy kitchen chair, she’s checking out the view from different heights altogether. 


OUR ACTIVISM 

This month has been busy making plans for speaking engagements and training sessions with old colleagues and friends and exploring new partnerships. We are heartened by the great interest in our work and we look forward to training new aspiring activists! 

STAY CONNECTED 

The road that led us to this particular place on earth has been winding, somewhat bumpy and totally unpredictable. But, we own that journey, just as we now own this space and place in time. This is our view. And we cannot think of a more perfect place for us to be. 

Thank you for your help in getting us here and for sharing our journey along the way. We hope you will continue to support our shared vision for a more just, humane, loving, kind and peaceful world – especially for those who have suffered such enormous injustice. 

Thank you for your caring.

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.