Another gorgeous sunset at the Sunny Healing Center.
Exonerees face many challenges as they rebuild their lives after a wrongful conviction. One of the things that takes a backseat, as they struggle to access essentials like a place to live, medical care, and work, is thinking about how they will be cared for if they get sick.
In this issue, we are highlighting the problem that Exonerees face when dealing with everyday legal issues: things like creating a living will, assigning power of attorney, divorce, custody and visitation rights, and even just getting a state-issued ID or driver’s license. Many of us see these as minor annoyances but they can be overwhelming hurdles to Exonerees.
Read on to learn what our dedicated volunteers are doing right now to help Exonerees and what’s planned in the near future. Your help is so essential to this work. Please consider a donation to The Sunny Center at the link below.
Living Wills at The Sunny Living Center
Exonerees frequently face serious medical challenges due to the stress of wrongful conviction and incarceration. Since we established the Sunny Living Center in Tampa, Florida, a few years ago, two of our residents have experienced a life-threatening illness or medical procedure.
Our volunteer Tyler (left) is coordinating with other law students and professors and is helping us to establish a living will / power of attorney for anyone connected with the Sunny Living Center. This makes it possible for their designees to make decisions for them if they are incapacitated by an illness or medical treatment.
Sharing What We’ve Learned
Exonerees everywhere struggle with issues like this every day. They also struggle with bureaucracy as they try to get on to housing lists. For example, male exonerees are almost always at the bottom of housing lists, and there are increasingly fewer apartments available in the U.S. to those who need stable housing the most. Even catching up on utility bills can be daunting for Exonerees.
We are developing a template for Exonerees anywhere in the United States to reference via our website so they can learn what steps to take when dealing with the types of legal issues we all must face at some point in our lives. This way, The Sunny Center – and you! – can be a positive force in the lives of Exonerees across the U.S.
And, of course, Exonerees that we work with continue to have access to our outreach coordinator, Dorothy, who can guide them through the process. With her experience and expertise, Dorothy helps our Exonerees through the overwhelming bureaucratic maze that has become even more daunting since the advent of the pandemic. We need your help to ramp up this education and assistance effort. Donate by clicking the button below. If you’d like to learn more about volunteering remotely for programs like this one, contact us here.
Wish Lists: Help Exonerees Directly
Support an Exoneree directly by purchasing a needed item for them!
Terry’s wish list
David’s wish list
Paul’s wish list
Danny’s wish list
Joseph’s wish list
Thank you so much for your support! And don’t forget, you can purchase through smile.amazon.com and select The Sunny Center Foundation USA, Inc. as your charity of choice.
Help Us on Social Media
Can’t donate directly? That’s okay – you can help us by sharing our social media posts on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter far and wide!
Help us go viral (in a good way, not like a coronavirus)!
Support for Exonerees
Women Exonerees are welcome to join SUNDAYS WITH SUNNY, a group online chat where we can share and learn and grow together, and just be there to support one another.
And all Exonerees, please visit our Outreach page and contact us if you need help in any way. We will respond to you. Even if you just need someone to talk to!
