Meet Sue, a passionate volunteer who believes in bridging the gaps between Bankhead and Buckhead. For Sue, the connection that would draw her to PAWKids started long ago. Back in 2007, Sue was connected with a friend named Julie Harlan. They raised children, studied the bible, and walked through seasons of life together. In 2017, Julie Harlan decided to quit her corporate job to pursue a calling to start a nonprofit called Julie’s Dream. This nonprofit was inspired by the belief that bringing inner city kids into the beauty of God’s nature opened their eyes to new experiences and new parts of themselves. A little over a month after quitting her job, Julie lost her life to cancer.
Julie’s husband, Chad, was determined to carry out Julie’s mission and launch the Julie’s Dream ministry. After the organization launched, Sue participated in a fundraising event in Serenbe, where she met LaTonya. When Sue met LaTonya, they instantly developed a connection and a friendship. As they continued getting to know each other in the coming weeks, Sue continued to prayerfully consider how to get involved in the PAWKids ministry.
Sue immediately recognized that she had so much to learn. She began attending weekly group therapy sessions that were facilitated at PAWKids. As the women's director at Northside Church, she began brainstorming ways that she could involve women from her church in this amazing ministry. From daily afternoon homework mentorship to holiday gift packing, the women from Northside Church began to fall in love with the Grove Park neighborhood.
As Sue stated, “Community is not just about having friends that are similar to you, it is about knowing and investing in the people who are in your neighborhood.” Sue continues to connect people in her church community and blog community with people in Grove Park. As these individuals get to know each other, authentic conversations happen and genuine relationships form. There is so much we can learn from the people in our community, especially those that are different from us!
Sue has continued to raise awareness about PAWKids through her blog ministry. In addition, she uses her written words to capture the generosity of God. When we give a little, God gives a lot! Her belief in this message has inspired many people to give graciously. Sue is passionate about building bridges between gaps in communities from different backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, and races. Throughout her time in ministry, building bridges and watching authentic relationships form continues to be an inspiration to Sue.
If you are interested in getting involved with a new organization, begin your journey with prayer! Pray for PAWKids. Pray that the Lord opens doors to opportunities for you to get involved. When you ask God for opportunities to serve his kingdom, he will open doors.
