Who we are:

The Sunshine Angels are a 501(c) 3 charitable organization that exists to support and enrich the lives of foster children in the care of Sunshine Residential and Group Homes, in Maricopa County. Currently there are 330+ children from ages 6-18 residing in the 30 facilities of Sunshine Homes.

Our vision is to show unconditional love to these children to instill within them the confidence and self-esteem needed to overcome many obstacles on their journey from foster care to independent living. The Sunshine Angels have been volunteering for the children of Sunshine Residential and Group Homes since 1999, officially becoming a charitable organization in March 2006. We serve the foster children of Sunshine through outreach and positive interaction to promote their health and healing.

Our mission is to bring about greater success in these children’s ability to achieve positive life skills and become wholesome citizens, through our outreach which includes providing birthday, graduation and holiday recognition, assistance with clothing, computers and school supplies, summer camp and other wholesome recreational opportunities, and helping the foster children transition to independent living upon reaching age 18, when they are discharged from the foster care system.

Our goals include maintaining our current giving, adding a college scholarship, and increasing logistical and financial support to foster youth at age 18, when they must move out of group home care and into independent living.

Each year the Sunshine Angels provide a personalized birthday party for each one of the Sunshine children. The Angels also host a Christmas party, complete with celebration dinner, gifts, cocoa and caroling for each of the Sunshine homes. The Sunshine Angels have purchased equipment for each of the Sunshine homes that is put to good use by the children, such as electronic game systems, athletic equipment, sporting goods, computers and printers. The Angels pay for up to 40 children per summer to attend a week-long summer camp in the White Mountains. The Sunshine Angels provide the financial support for a graduation celebration for all of the 8th and 12th grade graduates and their caseworkers, and also host a Back To School night in September to kick off the school year. This year the Angels hosted a backpack and school supply drive to ensure that all of the children began the new school year with a new backpack and all needed supplies. Along with the school supplies, the Angels also compiled new socks and underwear for the children. Each July the Angels provide a new pair of athletic shoes for each child at the beginning of Sunshine’s annual Basketball Camp.

Currently the Sunshine Angels continue to provide a variety of services for foster children in care with Sunshine Homes.

Ø Birthday parties for each child, with food, gifts, cake and candles, and a card with $5 inside.

Ø Christmas for each group home with a dinner, party, and gifts for all of the children.

Ø A special holiday gift for the home, which will benefit all of the children, such as sporting goods, a computer with printer, or an electronic game system, such as a Wii System.

Ø A graduation luncheon each May to celebrate the 8th graders, 12th graders, and those who have attained a GED certificate.

Ø We award two $500 Angel Phyllis Memorial Scholarships each year.

Ø Backpacks and school supplies at the beginning of the school year and a Back to School dinner for all of the children, to help them begin the new school year with enthusiasm and excitement.

Ø Summer camp, Arizona Diamondback games, Phoenix Mercury games, and the Phoenix Art Museum.

Ø New athletic shoes for each child at the start of Sunshine’s annual basketball camp each summer.

Ø Assistance for older teenagers with housing, transportation, and logistical support when they must move out of the group homes at age 18.

Ø Financial support to Sunshine’s Honor Roll dinners to recognize academic success.

Ø One-on-one mentoring and volunteering with the children to help them learn life skills while experiencing the love and support of a caring adult.

All of these activities take place throughout the year. Each year we have added more events; however, our fundraising ability has been negatively impacted by the current economic downturn.

Program Description

The Sunshine Angels maintain a presence year round in the lives of the Sunshine foster children, by providing them with support needed to achieve success in school and in life. Our outreach includes providing recognition of life events and their needs, such as that received by children in traditional family homes. Foster children face many disadvantages which often lead to lives of drug addiction, unplanned pregnancy, homelessness and hopelessness. Through our presence in the children’s lives, they learn that they are loved and deserving of success. We provide school supplies, clothing, computers, mentoring, birthday, holiday and graduation recognition, summer camp and other wholesome recreation opportunities, cultural event tickets and passes, and support to transition to independent living after group home care.

The Sunshine Angels have goals for enriching the lives of children in foster care with Sunshine Homes. While the children are under the age of 18, our goals primarily are to help them overcome the obstacles they face by providing them with the education, guidance and encouragement they often lack without family support. A greater goal is to help them survive and thrive through these early years in order to avoid the statistically common fate of many young adults aging out of foster care, which include dropping out of school, drug addiction, unemployment, prostitution, homelessness, gang affiliation, poverty and suicide.

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