Sunrise values the partnership we have had with the Commonwealth of Kentucky for more than 40 years. Our goal is to ensure that Kentucky’s most vulnerable children receive the vital services and care they need, whether through Sunrise or through other agencies. We are still committed to working with the current administration in changing the lives of kids for the better.
The year 2020 was not at all what any of us thought it would be. But the uncertainty, heartache, and fear that many of us experienced during the past year are frankly what our Sunrise boys and girls have been facing most of their lives. Thanks be to God, and because of your generosity, not even COVID-19 could stop us from helping families mend their brokenness and find a path to hope and healing.
We took care of children every day. Some of our children developed COVID-19. For them we never stopped providing care, and they all pulled through. We are still here, doing the important work.
Even in the midst of a pandemic, Sunrise had much to be thankful for in 2020. During the year, we celebrated 59 adoptions. Since the beginning of our foster-to-adopt program in 2006, our total adoptions are now 582! Thank you for your part in bringing families together.
Your generous giving has also helped our kids find their eternal homes. During our last fiscal year, our ministry reported 3 rededications, 19 baptisms, and 27 professions of faith. God is doing miraculous things in the lives of our kids, in the hearts of our families, and through your faithful giving.
Have you ever thought that the children we are serving here at Sunrise are not here by coincidence? Could it be that the children we serve everyday have been placed here by God to be part of a more positive world? Let’s empower all of them to grow up to embrace that world we are handing over to them. Let’s empower them to be more confident, to be successful, to embrace the challenge of the day.
Through your support and prayers, we can be the ministry that prepares them to be change agents for a better society, to become good moms and dads, to become involved in their communities and to understand something bigger than them is driving this big ole ship. That something is a God that truly loves them.
Let’s inspire them all to heights they never could have imagined. So please pray for our country and leaders, and pray that Sunrise might have the wisdom to lead children in a way that enables them to embrace all that we hand over to them.
None of us know what 2021 will bring, but we believe that He has blessed this ministry in the past, He will continue to do so through 2021. Yes, the pandemic has brought countless challenges, but we have found a way, through God’s leading and your help, to continue providing care to our most vulnerable. Thank you for joining us on this incredible journey!
Because of you, the love of Christ has been shared with the broken hearted, and children and families have been given a fresh start. Your compassion is greatly appreciated this year and always. Your prayers and support will help us continue to change the lives of children and families in a constantly changing world.
With great hope,
Dale Suttles
President
Jeremy Teal is the director and owner of Paul Mitchell The School in Lexington and Louisville. About 17 years ago, Jeremy was introduced to the salon business and eventually fell in love with the industry. “You genuinely connect with people with passion in this industry,” said Jeremy. “There’s just a contagious energy. It’s what they wanted their entire life. So, I just kind of fell in love with that energy and that passion.”
He also fell in love with the students that attend Paul Mitchell The School. “I kind of affectionately named our school the island of misfit hairdressers, kind of a play off Rudolph and the island of misfit toys,” shared Jeremy. “Most of (the students) are creative. Nobody really understood them because of their creative nature, because of the way they learned. They didn’t connect well with teachers.” As a result, The School uses curriculum that targets the best way each student processes new information.
Jeremy truly cares for all of his students. So, it seemed natural that with this kind of compassion for young people, Sunrise would eventually find him. “I walked into the school one day, and somebody left a folder and about 10 business cards on my desk,” Jeremy said. “So, I opened it up. It was all the information about Sunrise.”
Although Jeremy didn’t know much about our ministry at the time, eventually Sunrise would become part of the school’s annual fundraising, thanks to the name on the business cards: Rick Burslem, Sunrise Vice President for Marketing & Advancement. Jeremy had known Rick for several years. “I knew if he was willing to put his name behind something, and jump on board to support it, it had to be worthwhile,” Jeremy shared.
Jeremy quickly discovered a similarity between his students and Sunrise kids. “With some of the stories that Rick told me in the very beginning, it’s very similar,” Jeremy explained. In fact, as he described his own students at Paul Mitchell The School, it became evident that he was also describing many of the children and youth in our Sunrise programs: “They never really fit in where they were. Now they have this opportunity to be somewhere where they are loved every day, where they’re not judged, and where they can come be whoever it is they want to be. It’s empowering for them.”
In the beginning, Jeremy’s decision to make an investment in Sunrise was mostly about his relationship with Rick. Now, it’s about the potential in our Sunrise boys and girls. “An investment in Sunrise is a lot like an investment in the future,” Jeremy said. “My hope would be – and I think it would be amazing – that the future governor of the state comes out of Sunrise. I think a kid like that can take (his or her) experience and really understand what needs to be done versus the kid who has never experienced true tragedy or a true hurdle in life. How do you man a state, a city, a county – how do you lead – if you’ve never really experienced that before? So, I think the kids that come out of Sunrise are kids that can make a difference, that can do something bigger and better.”
Jeremy doesn’t hold back in encouraging others to invest in Sunrise as well. “With Sunrise, you get kids that have life experience that want to see things done differently,” stated Jeremy. “That’s what I would tell someone that wanted to pick a charity. You’re investing in that future. You’re not investing in a cure or a cause. You’re actually investing in a kid. To see that kid grow and flourish and become something better – I think there is no greater reward than that.”
On September 12, the second annual “Run for the Ranch” was held in Winchester to raise money for the Solid Rock Children’s Ranch. The 5K run/walk began and ended at Mt. Zion Christian Church, with 106 runners and walkers participating. Among those participants were four ladies calling themselves “Tina’s Tribe.” They walked in memory of their dear friend, Tina. This is their story:
“Our friendship began in 1996. We were all living in Columbus, Ohio with small children and similar life circumstances. We met at church and became fast friends. Laughing, crying, hours of talking and sharing, good times, and bad times. We bonded as sisters through the years. We started girls’ trips with weekend shopping when our children were small, life was busy, and there were gifts to buy. As time progressed and our children got older, we traded those shopping trips for destination trips where we continued our sisterly bond. We loved encouraging one another, laughing, crying, and eating together. We always felt renewed after these trips, and eagerly awaited and planned for the next one.
“Sadly, on February 11, 2020, we got the shocking call that our sister Tina had very unexpectedly, and instantly, passed away. The feeling of devastation is an understatement. We sisters could not imagine this terrible loss.
“During our mourning it was quickly decided that we needed a way to honor her memory. Tina had a love of races, and these were an important part of her life. She also had a deep love of children, whom she served for many years in our church. We decided that we would find a way that would incorporate both of those.
“One of us now lives in Kentucky and found a race that fit the bill. The first annual 5K for #Tinastribe began on Saturday, September 12 with four of us able to physically participate in Sunrise’s “Run for the Ranch” in Winchester, while Tina’s daughter ran in spirit with us from Reynoldsburg, Ohio. We will continue to participate in 5K’s as #Tinastribe until none of us are able to make the walk.”
– Submitted by “Tina’s Tribe”
“It (COVID-19) has added the responsibility of keeping the kids aware of what is going on with the pandemic and processing their thoughts, questions, and fears.” – Sunrise Direct Care Counselor II Steve Dillard from Crossroads Treatment Center in Elizabethtown
“COVID-19 has certainly changed everything as we know it. It has impacted my job by introducing telehealth services in place of face-to-face sessions. This change has prompted me to engage in more creative interactions within sessions.” – Sunrise Owensboro and Bowling Green Foster Care Therapist Sheri Hunt
“Since mid to late March, our facility has been on full lockdown. Our families are not allowed to come in to see us, and we are not allowed to go see them; even churches that would come on weekends and give us a message or just play basketball with kids, are excluded. This time has given us all an opportunity to bond and create relationships with each other we didn’t know were possible.” – Ru Jones, former Sunrise Spring Meadows Center client, written May 2020
“Hello Guys- I just wanted to take a moment and say that I know the media is singing about the healthcare workers and other essential employees. I also sing their praise and feel VERY thankful for all the essential employees out working. However, there is a different story that will most likely not be nationally told. That story is of the residential mental health care worker. A mental health worker already endures a numerous amount of physical and emotional stress that comes with working with people in crisis. Words and stories rarely do justice to describe the strength it takes to work in this field. Now, add that our future is blurry, our home life has been shaken, and our clients are scared, and we must muster even more strength and courage to deal with the amplified mental health issues. We do this while dealing with a crisis of keeping our clients safe and while attempting to keep our own families safe. We are constantly shifting our roles from counselor, co-worker, mother, father, partner, friend, teacher, and Toilet Paper Hunter. We do this while we are also going through a very human experience of experiencing fear of uncertainty. I am proud to be a part of a team of amazing people that do this all while making it look easy. I just wanted to say that I know there is strength happening that will never get the attention it deserves, and I am proud to work with you.” – Sunrise Crossroads Treatment Center Program Director Jalena Robertson, written to encourage fellow Sunrise program directors
“They (Sunrise team members) have been warriors throughout this crisis. Many have families of their own that they leave in quarantine to take care of Kentucky’s orphans.” – Sunrise President Dale Suttles
The “new normal” has encouraged the girls who live at Sunrise’s Glen Dale Center in Elizabethtown to spend their time growing gardens.
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