By Ron Veazey, Director of Advancement
At Sunnybrook, we have much to be thankful for this fall. We see it in the determination of young women working toward independence and in the generosity of neighbors who continue to stand beside them. As we look toward Thanksgiving and the holiday season, we want our Northside Sun friends to know what their support is helping make possible.
Our 2026 Mid-Year Impact Report offers a glimpse of that progress. Through June 30, five residents in our Transitional Living Program had purchased their own vehicles using earned income. All five were also paying for their own auto insurance. Those milestones reflect hard work, growing responsibility and the practical freedom that reliable transportation can bring.
The report also recorded nine Faith & Finance graduates who completed 18 hours of financial education and six WorkLife graduates who completed 22 hours of workforce readiness. Six residents had maintained employment for three months or longer. Two had graduated from high school in 2026, while three were pursuing a GED at Holmes Community College. These figures reflect different milestones, and some residents appear in more than one category.
Behind each number is a young woman putting new skills into practice. Learning to manage money, preparing for work and continuing an education take persistence. We are grateful for the residents’ efforts and for the staff, donors and community partners who help sustain the support around them. Progress deserves to be recognized, even as the work continues.
This fall, our Help Us Make It Home campaign for Cottage 4 gave our community another meaningful way to participate. To everyone who contributed to its success: thank you. Your generosity helped bring the warmth and practical comforts of home to the center of this effort. A welcoming home matters, and we are grateful to everyone who helped move that vision forward.
We are also looking ahead to Sunnybrook’s forthcoming Foster Family Campus ministry. This next chapter reflects our desire to support children and families through a caring community. We look forward to sharing more about the ministry and ways to be involved as it develops.
As the year draws to a close, we invite you to carry this spirit of generosity into the holidays. A year-end gift or a small commitment of $5 to $10 to monthly giving can help sustain Sunnybrook’s work beyond a single season. Your prayers, your encouragement and your willingness to introduce others to the ministry matter, too.
For our longtime friends and those just getting to know Sunnybrook, there is a place for you in this community. Thank you for celebrating these milestones with us and for helping make room for the progress still ahead. We enter this season with grateful hearts and renewed hope.
To learn more or make a holiday gift, visit sunnybrookms.org/donate.
2026 tax credits are available through December 31. To learn more or apply, contact Ron Veazey at rveazey@sunnybrookms.org or (601) 540-4253.