Bruce Sullivan was the youngest of 11 children. Just days before he was born, his father passed away. A few years later, his mother died as well, leaving the Sullivan children to be divided amongst relatives to be raised. Childhood was difficult not only because of the loss of Bruce's parents but also because he and his siblings were separated. Despite his setbacks, Bruce grew up to become a kind, generous and hard-working man who desired to live a life devoted to service. Because of the events and emotions he experienced while growing up, Bruce knew that he wanted to do something to improve the lives of children who had lost their parents. He could relate with those children's sufferings and wanted to be a part of helping them channel their grief into growth.
After researching numerous organizations that supported orphaned children, Bruce turned to his wife, Penny, for input. Penny connected Bruce with Pam Cope and Touch A Life. Not only was there a personal connection between Penny and Pam but there were so many logistical elements that fell into place for the Sullivans as well. They found Touch A Life to be fiscally sound and professionally run. After a few weeks of discussion, the Sullivans decided that they wanted to devote their time, energy and funds to supporting the work Touch A Life was doing for orphans and former child slaves.
The Sullivans deliberated for some time over how they were going to spend the money they donated to Touch A Life. To pay homage to Bruce's childhood, they wanted to do something substantial, something that would prove to the children that they are worthy of being loved, adored and admired. Their hearts were drawn to the Vietnam program and when they learned that the program was in need of more housing projects, the Sullivans knew that providing the funds for a new building was up to them. They committed to raising the money to provide new, improved housing for the children in Vietnam. After settling on a plot of land that was home to a dilapidated building, construction began to renovate the structure so that it could be a beautiful place for the Touch A Life children to live.
The Sullivan House was completed at the beginning of 2009 and is home to 15 children and their houseparents. The appliances are new, the ambiance is peaceful and the space is, overall, just perfect. The children in Vietnam are ecstatic about their new living situation, and all thanks goes to the Bruce and Penny Sullivan for their generous hearts.
1 comment:
It is gorgeous! What a blessing. It's indescribeable really. "Channeling grief into growth"--can this get any better?
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