WHO WE ARE
SUSTAINED ACTS, founded in 2008 is a Christian international non-profit organization with a heart for helping people help themselves.
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Our Objective is to identify, organize, develop and lead sustainable projects for those in need.
Much of our work is focused in Kenya, East Africa, and is founded on the long-term personal relationships we have with people living there.
OUR STORY
The story of Sustained Acts began in November 2007. It was Tom Tillett's first trip to Kenya. During that trip a variety of ideas and opportunities emerged as to how we could help a number of people and organizations through which Chelten Baptist Church had developed long-term and trusting relationships.
Returning to the USA, Tom initiated the first project which we called the Christmas Cow Project. This was designed to raise funds to purchase milking cows for the Kijabe Boys High School. The overwhelming success of that project convinced me that God was leading me to do even more.
We formed Sustained Acts in May, 2008 and received notification from the IRS as to their acceptance of our 501 (c) (3) status in February, 2009.
Founder Tom Tillett & MCH Director Amos Njagi
Around that same time, we learned that a network of children’s homes in Kenya, East Africa were in a financial crisis as their European partner could no longer provide funding for the homes as they once did. These homes had such a rich heritage. Opened by the African Inland Church (AIC) as early as the 1970’s these homes provided a refuge for children without hope. Because of these homes, thousands of children had been given the care they needed to survive and thrive. Now, they were facing having to close their doors.
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God used the home's manager who was working with a church in Dresher, PA to spread the word of the impending loss of funds. With this knowledge, a step of faith, and later, with the support of Chariots for Hope, Sustained Acts partnered with Mukaa Children's Home and remains the home's Core Partner along with the assistance of 58ten, another non-profit organization dedicated to serving the children of Kenya.
- Tom Tillett , Executive Director
OUR VISION & MISSION
Our Vision:
To provide sustainable assistance to the needy worldwide by using the gifts God has so richly bestowed on us.
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Our Mission:
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Sustained Acts exists to honor God by loving, nurturing, and providing for vulnerable and orphaned children in Kenya, East Africa and providing assistance and resources to organizations and individuals that will provide sustainable benefits for all involved.
OUR LEADERSHIP
Tom Tillett, Founder & Executive Director
Tom Tillett is the founder and Executive Director of Sustained Acts, a Christian non-profit focusing on sustainable projects in Africa that includes supporting a 128 child orphanage in Kenya, providing opportunities for Kenyan entrepreneurs to sell their crafts in the USA, and is a key fundraiser for the AIC Kijabe Hospital, the #2 surgical center in Kenya treating nearly 200,000 patients each year.
He is also cofounder,President & CEO of MBF Therapeutics, an animal health biotech company, developing innovative immunotherapies to treat cancer and infectious diseases in companion animals. Mr. Tillett was the founder, President and CEO of RHeoGene LLC. He started the company in 1999 as a joint venture between Rohm and Haas Company and Argonex (Charlottesville VA). In 2003, he led the highly innovative and unique effort to donate the intellectual property and material assets of RHeoGene LLC to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), which became RheoGene, Inc. As RheoGene's CEO, he established an innovative clinical development program with the RheoSwitch® Therapeutic System (RTS) that has led to the first human clinical trial of a small molecule-induced gene regulation system. In 2007, he successfully completed the merger of RheoGene Inc. with Intrexon Corporation who has continued the development of RTS through various clinical trials for cancer and other important therapeutic indications. He currently serves on the board of the Friends of Kijabe Hospital, the UNC GAA Board and is a member of the Blue Bell Rotary Club. He was recently elected to the Hatboro-Horsham Hall of Fame and he has also been the publisher for Dr. Bill Smith’s one year devotional titled, “Grace through the Ages”. Tom has been married to his wife Lynne for over 42 years. They have 4 children, Leah, Kelly, Kevin and James.
Bruce Dearnley, Associate Executive Director
Bruce Dearney is the Associate Executive Director of Sustained Acts. He lives in Maple Glen, PA, is married and has three children and five grandchildren. Bruce spent his working career as a partner in a firm providing security equipment and design build services to financial institutions.
A 30+ year Rotarian, he was Past President of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia, and is presently a member of the Rotary Club of Blue Bell. He is also the current Board Chair of the International Christian High School in Philadelphia in addition to serving the Bala Foundation, which supports the needs of senior adults, He is the past chair of this organization and a former Director of Alliance Bank.
Bruce has been involved with ShelterBox, disaster relief, having deployed in response to the earthquake in Peru, the floods in the Terrai Region of Nepal, the Niger River floods in Niger, the flooding in Uganda, and Hurricane Sandy in New York.
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Bruce feels strongly that the absolute best use of his charity dollars is to love the children at the Mukaa Children’s Home through child sponsorship.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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Thomas Tillett - Founder & Executive Director Sustained Acts; President & CEO of MBF Therapeutics
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Bruce Dearnley - Associate Executive Director Sustained Acts; Retired Business Executive of Blue Bell, Rotary Club and Shelter Box International
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Paul Keisling - MSW – Executive Director, Project Transition
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Wayne Shaw - DSL – Senior Director of Clinical Research, J&J; Adjunct Professor, School of Business Leadership, Cairn University
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Tammy Anderson - Director of Marketing, Madison Homebuilders
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