This mission is not based on theory.
For Founder Shannon Suttles, this mission is not based on theory. It has been shaped by a lifetime of family hardship, separation, court battles, restoration, and firsthand experience walking beside families in crisis.
A story marked by separation has become a generational testimony.
As a teenager, Shannon was forced to relinquish her daughter, Annie, for adoption. Years later, mother and daughter were reunited and their relationship was restored. Today, Annie Whaley, J.D., is an integral part of Shannon’s family and serves alongside her in their companies and ministry. What began as a story marked by separation has become a generational testimony of restoration, shared purpose, and legacy.
She fought for years to bring him safely home.
Shannon also experienced the devastation of being separated from her son following an abusive marriage and a prolonged custody battle. She fought for years to bring him safely home. He was eventually restored to her care and was later adopted by Shannon’s husband, Jason, at his own request. That experience gave Shannon firsthand knowledge of how frightening, exhausting, financially draining, and emotionally overwhelming custody litigation can become — even for a parent fighting to protect and recover a child.
A consistent pattern of sacrificial fatherhood.
Shannon’s husband, Jason Suttles, has been an essential and steady presence throughout this entire journey and has played a deeply active role in caring for and protecting children who were not biologically his own. He formally adopted Shannon’s son, fully stepping into the role of father and providing long-term stability and belonging. He has also provided consistent care, protection, and support for their granddaughter, helping ensure her safety and well-being during times of need. Jason has supported Annie as part of the family’s restoration story, standing alongside her as she rebuilt relationship and connection within the family. In addition, he helped raise his nephews and has opened his home and life to other children in extended family and relational circles who needed stability, guidance, and care. His life reflects a consistent pattern of sacrificial fatherhood, guardianship, and quiet, faithful service to children in need of a safe and stable adult presence.
He willingly shared his home, time, and personal space.
Their son, Mark, has also been an integral part of the family’s commitment to serving others. During the seasons in which Jason and Shannon opened their home to families in crisis, Mark was consistently included in the decision-making process and willingly shared his home, time, and personal space with those families. He demonstrated maturity, compassion, and quiet strength, often sacrificing time with his parents and his own comfort without complaint. His steady and respectful presence served as a powerful example to the families they hosted, reflecting kindness, patience, and emotional stability during very difficult circumstances.
Their home served as a place of refuge.
Beyond their immediate family, Jason and Shannon have spent years supporting families through court proceedings, custody conflicts, domestic violence, homelessness, addiction, mental-health crises, and circumstances involving children in danger or distress. For approximately ten years, their home served as a place of refuge for families, including women and children escaping dangerous situations. Together, they have stood beside Annie and other families as they navigated difficult court and family circumstances.
These experiences have given Jason, Shannon, Annie, and Mark a deep understanding of what it means to face a powerful system while carrying grief, fear, financial limitations, and the responsibility to keep fighting for a child.
An unusual combination of lived and professional understanding.
Annie brings another vital dimension to this work. In addition to her legal and executive operations background, she serves on the Board of Directors of Choices Coordinated Care Solutions, a national nonprofit serving youth and families through programs that include therapeutic foster care, family preservation, behavioral-health support, and coordinated care. Her professional knowledge, governance experience, personal adoption story, and restored relationship with her birth mother provide an unusual combination of lived and professional understanding.
Perspectives from multiple sides of the family-restoration journey.
Together, Jason, Shannon, Annie, and Mark carry perspectives from multiple sides of the family-restoration journey: birth mother, adopted daughter, father by adoption and guardianship, mother fighting through custody court, son who lived within and witnessed family crisis and restoration, restored family, legal and operational leadership, nonprofit governance, ministry, and direct service to families experiencing hardship.