A Holiday Call for Help: Help Sunny Rebuild After Tragedy

Important Update Dec 15, 2024:

Dear friends and compassionate strangers, sunny has expressed heartfelt gratitude for the go fund me donations already received. These funds have all gone towards survival needs during this challenging time thrust upon her.

As the holidays approach, we continue to reach out with a vital request to aid Sunny to rebuild, from the devastating house fire earlier this year.

Since the fire, Sunny’s primary focus has been securing stable housing in the spring. While she has secured temporary accommodations for now, by June 30th, she will be without a permanent residence again. Housing options are scarce and unaffordable for someone living on a senior's income. She is seeking a home in a rural setting, where she finds peace in growing food, herbs, and even giant pumpkins. Sunny has lived in the Slocan Valley for the past 14 years and wishes to remain there. She has built strong connections with kind people in the area, who understand her needs and support her. Due to a traumatic brain injury, Sunny finds the quiet, rural environment far better suited to her than city life.

The challenges she faces continue. Sunny is now facing a new medical need. She is requiring three eye surgeries to address diabetic complications that, if untreated, could result in vision difficulties or worst.

As well, Sunny’s service dog, Cosmo, her companion through countless trials, is now more than 13 years old, each day now a gift with his advancing age. She is committed to giving him all the love, medical care, and comfort that he needs in his final days—a testament to the boundless bond they share. You may have met Cosmo and sunny thereabouts, as they both will stop and educate about service dogs, when nicely asked to pet him by kids.

The financial strain is high. Cosmo's vet expenses, rent, utilities, and the ongoing need to replace essentials lost in the fire, have created an overwhelming fiscal burden. As a senior on a fixed income, Sunny can hardly manage these costs.

This is where community comes together. This holiday season, we’re asking for your help, for Sunny. Your contributions, no matter how small, will provide essential relief for her housing, and search for a new home and help ease the extra medical need's costs, plus basic daily expenses. Together, we can help her rebound her life, one step at a time.

Please, consider donating and sharing Sunny’s story with your networks.

Your kindness and generosity can make an incredible difference in her life, and show that community cares deeply for her well-being.

Thank you for supporting Sunny during this incredibly challenging time.

Seasons Blessings to All

With gratitude

Update Aug 24: sunny is profoundly thankful for the donations received and the kindnesses offered. The need is still very urgent as she must prepare for winter quickly and needs new winter boots as her Sorels burned in the fire, winter clothing and has to start anew with her household supplies. A donation is the best way to assist right now as her budget is understandably very tight. We have added some video links for her precious "Legacy" garden as her intention had been that it would last beyond her lifetime however all is lost now with the fire and the ground must be scraped clean. A deep sadness for her. She is sharing the joy of her gardens when they were at their best last year. Please enjoy.

Sunny's Garden Tour Before Fire

Our dear friend Sunny and her son Chris, have tragically lost everything in a devastating house fire. She lived in a humble but cherished Slocan home for over 13 years enjoying nature in a rural forested setting full of wildlife. Known for her deep connection to the land and her joy for gardening, Sunny has always found peace in her surroundings. As a wounded warrior with PTSD/TBI, she has found healing in this valley, but now faces the challenge of rebuilding her life from the ashes.

A Life Dedicated to Service and Compassion

Sunny’s life is a testament to service and compassion. She has walked alongside trailblazers like Gloria Steinem and has been a fierce advocate for modern gay rights, often at great personal cost. Her professional roles as a caregiver to the severely disabled, a medic, and a security guard reflect her unwavering commitment to others. As a senior, with her loyal service dog Cosmo, Sunny is known for her vibrant personality, compassionate energy and spiritual warmth.

The Loss

Sunny’s beloved gardens, treasured keepsakes and cherished family heirlooms have all been lost in the fire. As a keeper of knowledge, the loss of these items represents the loss of connection to memories that had helped in her healing. Her extensive collection of specialty herbs and unique cooking utensils, collected over a lifetime, was also destroyed. This loss has been deeply felt, especially since cooking has always been a source of joy and pride for her.

Support Sunny’s Fresh Start

Despite her own struggles, Sunny has been a devoted mother and elder guide to many adopted family members and a kind soul to everyone she meets. Now, she needs our help to rebuild her life.

How You Can Help:

• Donate: Any contribution will assist Sunny in finding a new place to call home and beginning the healing process.

• Share: Spread the word and encourage others to support Sunny in her time of need.

• Offer Support: Consider providing practical help or emotional support as she navigates this challenging time.

Let’s come together to support a woman who has given so much to others. Your generosity will offer Sunny a fresh start and help her recover from this immense loss. Thank you for your support.