News & Updates
Sunnybrook Announces Eligibility As a Partner in Mississippi’s New ETHO Tax Credit
Easy Tweet: .@Sunnybrook_CH is pleased to join a select group of Eligible Transitional Home Organization’s (ETHO) now qualified to participate in @MSDeptofRevenue’s new tax credits available for businesses & individuals. RIDGELAND, MS - July 2023 - Sunnybrook...
Uplifting Hearts and Hope: Counseling at Sunnybrook
In 2014 the U.S. Senate declared June as National PTSD Awareness Month, a disease that impacts 25% of our foster care youth often stemming from histories of abuse, trauma, and neglect. At the age of five, Kenny Spansel knew he was different. His speech impediment...
Sunnybrook Exceeds State and National Benchmarks in Preparing Foster Care Graduates for Life
After shifting its focus from young foster children to transitional-age teens and young adults in 2019, Sunnybrook is pleased to announce the results of its first impact survey, with results that exceed state and national foster care benchmarks. According to the...
Carrying the Torch: Advancing the Ministry
Launching a new foster care program for adolescents might seem daunting for some, but not for Executive Director Myrle Grate. When asked to lead the charge he accepted the challenge without question. Grate embarked on his calling at Sunnybrook three years ago when he...
Tim Waldrop Reflects on 40 Years of Living and Working at Sunnybrook
At the age of 13, Tim Waldrop's world turned upside down when his mother passed away, leaving him and his five younger brothers without a caretaker. Shortly after entering the care of Child Protective Services, he and his brothers were referred to Sunnybrook, a...
Diamond Anniversary: Sunnybrook Celebrates 60 Years of Providing a Safe Haven for Foster Youth
Sunnybrook is thrilled to announce the 60th anniversary of its founding, a milestone that marks six decades of providing safe and nurturing homes for foster children and their families. Since its inception as a nonprofit ministry in 1963, Sunnybrook’s staff,...
Attorney General Lynn Fitch Announces $2.5M to Help Human Trafficking Victims
PRESS RELEASE Attorney General Lynn Fitch today announced that nearly $2.5 million from the Victims of Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation Fund will be distributed to nine organizations who help human trafficking victims become survivors....
How Sunnybrook’s Maintenance Man Helps Repair Broken Souls
At first glance, his name tag says it all: Mo Ghaffarian, Maintenance Manager. His job is to repair anything and everything that breaks at Sunnybrook, a transitional living home that supports and guides foster adolescents in Mississippi. After nearly 60 years of...
Young Life Summer Camp Proves Transformative for Sunnybrook Girls
After months of planning, preparation and prayer, there was much to celebrate when Sunnybrook residents returned from their first Carolina Point Young Life camp experience. Young Life provides a five-star camping experience, packed with summer fun, and a message...
Back to School: Help Unlock the Future for Foster Youth
The promise of another school year is upon us, and the youth at Sunnybrook are preparing for their next academic adventure. As they look ahead to a new class schedule with new teachers, the opportunity for a brighter, more educated future has the power to alter the...
A Sunnybrook Success Story: Welcomed Back with Open Arms
Swaying back and forth on the porch swing in the backyard of her teenage home, Deondra Willis reflected on her experience at Sunnybrook, a residential campus supporting foster youth ages 16-24. Her journey began five years ago when she found herself standing in front...
Sunnybrook Youth Attend Young Life Summer Camp for the First Time, Thanks to Unique Partnership
Close your eyes and imagine crackling fires, sweet treats, the aroma of sunscreen, cooling off in the water, and creating lifelong memories. Summer camp engages all five senses in a way that can truly change your life. The close friendships, newfound skills and...
Sunnybrook Houseparents: Hospitality at the Front Lines of Faith
Sunnybrook houseparents serve an essential role in our ministry, building a Christian foundation with our residents and shepherding them into a productive life. Human connection has the power to change lives. Its consistent presence helps lay the foundation for key...
Sunnybrook Residents and Transitional Living Services Come of Age Together
Focusing on an Underserved Community For more than 50 years, Sunnybrook Children’s Home served as a guiding light for young children who were in Mississippi’s foster care system. In the late 2010s, Sunnybrook leadership shifted focus to older youth, creating a...
Harry’s Take: My Foster Family Saved My Life
Learning the True Meaning of Family Thinking back on it nearly six decades later, Harry Liggett can describe his home life in nine simple words that hold an ocean of meaning: “Things were not well and life was not good.” At times, Liggett’s household included a...
Ron’s Take: Foster Brothers Share Lifelong Connection Thicker Than Blood
In the first of this two-part interview, we explore the personal connection that Sunnybrook Director of Advancement Ron Veazey has with foster care, offering his perspective on a lifelong brotherhood and friendship shared with Harry Liggett. Redefining the Concept of...
Win-Win With Sunnybrook: Donate Today, Reduce Your Tax Bill
Every day across Mississippi, the Sunnybrook team provides programs and facilities to help loving families nurture foster children within a stable, Christian environment. The impact of services like ours has been measured in the most important ways, as the...
Combating Poverty and Socioeconomic Injustice in the City
At Sunnybrook, you will find a classroom filled with sheets of paper taped to the walls, each one written on with different colored sharpies and post-it notes. This is the classroom where Sunnybrook residents come weekly to participate in two courses: Work Life...