What is Sanctuary Home?

Sanctuary Home For Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of Christians based in Abilene, Texas, partnering with a nonprofit organization in Tenali, India, Truth Ministries. We started as two families, the Palaparthis in India and the Pettits in Texas, who wanted to open an orphanage for street children in Tenali. From there, we formed the organizations that would comply with the laws of our respective nations while we worked on starting the orphanage. Sanctuary Home opened its doors in June 2006 with 15 children. Since then, we have grown to house 100 children, and now also offer financial support to more than 25 widows and regular food distribution in slum areas including monthly distribution to more than 100 children who have tested HIV positive (who are not allowed to interact socially inculding attending school.)

Sanctuary Home operates solely from the generosity of individuals who make monetary donations. Many of the donations come in the form of monthly sponsorships for the children and widows, but we also receive large and small undesignated and designated monthly and one-time donations. Our financial records and federal taxes are available on this site; please note that those of us working in Texas are all volunteers so every penny possible can be used to directly support those who are part of Sanctuary Home in India.

We currently have fourteen board members: Ray & Amanda Pettit, Charles & Diana Taylor, Tom & Toni Dolan, Joe Cannon, Linda Egle, Randy Uthe, Ruth Jackson, Mike Kaminski, Jana Beck, Grace Hall, and Emily Antilley. Most of our board members have visited India and Sanctuary Home; the winter 08/09 trip team is shown at left. The Palaparthis visited Texas to meet their supporters in the fall of 2009. And another team visited Tenali the winter of 2010/2011. We continue to work together to help as many destitute children and widows as we can, remembering that true religion is looking after widows and orphans in their distress (James 1:27) . For more information, please email amanda@sanctuaryhome.org, or visit our Support page.