Helen Williams

Crime victim advocate :: October 2006

For a young person, you have already given your time and energy to a wide variety of good causes—Sharing and Caring Hands, the Special Olympics, Feed My Starving Children, and many church and mission programs. But what has beomce so evident about you is that you follow your heart every day without thought of yourself. You are very close and loving to your aunt, Carole Ann, who is severely mentally retarded, and you have befriended others with that disability. You stick up for younger kids against bullies. You once literally gave the clothes off your back to a student from another country. Recently a friend of yours received an award rather than you, and your only thought was that she needed the award more than you. You are supportive, helpful, and considerate at home.

Spiritual growth can be measured by the extent to which one can identify with the others in the world as much as oneself. Many sincere and compassionate people labor a lifetime to even begin to accomplish this. Yet even as a child and now as a young teen-ager your heart naturally expanded to encompass all those around you. Everyone who knows you is aware that you are a special child with wonderful gifts.

Your ability to express in the world the love and compassion in your heart is exactly what  Sullivan Ballou exemplified. We honor you today for your work, but we also learn from you.  You teach us that heart energy is what matters. We are inspired by your example.

Congratulations!
Elissa and Bruce Peterson, Founding Members

Sullivan Ballou letter