KiDs Closet Donation Bin Dedication |
Like many Sunshine Place programs, KiDs Closet (formerly C.A.R.D.S. Closet) grew from a few community members coming together to support their neighbors. Today, it is a robust program that people rely on for kid’s clothing year-round, and recently celebrated a meaningful renaming amid a new donation bin dedication. |
THEN: C.A.R.D.S. Closet
It all started in 2010 when Denise Wagner’s middle-schooler, Sam, talked to her about what he could do for a school project that asked him a simple question: how can one person make a difference? Together, they decided to create a way for kids at their school who needed clothing to access it, for free. Sam brought in his friend Seamus, and his mother, Kathleen O’Shea, to help with the project. They named the resulting program C.A.R.D.S. Closet, which stood for Community Awareness, Resource Development, and Service. |
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They started by keeping donations in one of their dining rooms, then eventually, a storage unit. In 2014, they moved to become a Sunshine Place program at 1632 W. Main Street in Sun Prairie, where the program remains today. Denise and Kathleen helped their kids run the clothing closet for years throughout the program’s growth. It remained youth-lead, with a Youth Board who helped maintain inventory and keep things organized. When their boys left for college, Denise and Kathleen continued to co-lead the program together. What started as a project to help local students at a single school, slowly grew to serve any student in the Sun Prairie and Marshall school districts. |
NOW: KiDs Closet
Two years ago, when Kathleen and Denise retired from KiDs Closet, Sunshine Place enlisted over 20 volunteers to help keep KiDs Closet going as strong as the founders left it. A core part of these volunteers is Team Anjani, a group of youth volunteers from 8 to 17 years old, who have contributed over 2,300 volunteer hours to Sunshine Place programs from 2024 to date. They volunteer at KiDs Closet weekly, assisting with inventory management and organizing clothing donations. They also host regular clothing drives in the community, and even developed an outreach presentation for potential sponsors and community partners that identifies donation needs based on current youth clothing trends. Their feedback informs the clothing we keep stocked, meaning kids who use this program are more likely to not just find items that fit, but clothing they actually like, sending them back out into the world feeling comfortable, confident, and prepared.
Members of Team Anjani are also a part of the new KiDs Closet Youth Board, which was revived in 2024 after a pause during COVID. The new Youth Board continues to build on this program’s foundation as for youth, by youth. The Youth Board restarted largely because Team Anjani offered to update the KiDs Closet Donation bin, which was hard to use and in disrepair. Together, Team Anjani worked to create the blueprint, budget for supplies, and build a new donation bin. |
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They fundraised over $1,200 to pay for the materials through a handmade craft sale at the Sun Prairie Multicultural Fair and generous donations from Bollywood of Divas and others. The project took over 80 volunteer hours, but they completed the bin in May of 2025. Since then, donations have increased, in part thanks to the easier accessibility and higher visibility of the new donation bin. |
This month, a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for the donation bin, with new signs for the bin, a plaque recognizing Team Anjani, and a new program name: KiDs Closet. The new name not only makes the program’s purpose easier to understand, it honors the two women who supported their sons in founding the program, and kept it running for many years. K for Kathleen, and D for Denise. |
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Both Kathleen and Denise attended the ribbon-cutting, along with their families, including sons Sam and Seamus. Representatives from Team Anjani attended, including youth volunteers Likhith Bommineni, Ishaan Pillai, Sree Pranav Somarouthu, Tanish Premnath, and adult lead Aditya Rane. The founders shared stories about how the program began, and Team Anjani said they were moved to hear how far KiDs Closet has come. |
Last year, KiDs Closet provided over 680 students with clothing. This program was founded in the belief that every child deserves the dignity of clean, comfortable clothing for all seasons. While the program has evolved in many ways, this remains true. Sunshine Place is incredibly grateful to the KiDs Closet founders and the amazing volunteers like Team Anjani, who allow us to continue this program.
👉 CLICK TO...
💠 Volunteer at KiDs Closet
💠 Donate items to KiDs Closet
💠 Make a financial donation to KiDs Closet
💠 Learn how to get a referral to shop KiDs Closet
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S.O.S. Food Fight Challenge Results! |
The winner of our 2nd Annual S.O.S. Food Fight Drive is One Community Bank, who collected an incredible 96 pounds per employee!
We are beyond grateful to everyone who participated in this year's friendly competition to help keep the Sunshine Pantry stocked over the summer months, when need is high but donations slow. With the help of participating businesses, and amazing community members like you who donated, this year's drive collected:
🥦 3,123 pounds of food and personal care items
💙 $2,209.75 in financial contributions
Thank you to all who participated or donated for making a real difference for local families facing food insecurity. We will see you at next year's Food Fight!
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Interested in hosting your own product drive for Sunshine Pantry?
A great place to start is our Top Needs list. (Click the list to the right to enlarge or print).
You can also click here to check out our Food Drive Kits, which offer guidance on how to host and promote your pantry drive, and ideas for themes and timelines. Or come up with your own idea! |
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Are you a gardener?
If you have excess produce, consider donating to Sunshine Pantry!
We accept fresh produce from your garden as long as you follow these guidelines. Seasonal herbs and produce are so appreciated by our pantry shoppers.
(Click the image to the left to enlarge or print). |
Stuff the Bus Donations & Summer Kid's Challenge! |
Sunshine Place’s annual Stuff the Bus program provides backpacks and school supplies to Sun Prairie students in need. Every child in our community deserves to start the school year with the basic necessities, regardless of their family’s financial situation. We need your help to serve 2,000 students this year! |
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DONATIONS:
Programs likes this are possible thanks to community support.
- Host a backpack drive within your group, neighborhood, or church. We need fun, themed backpacks for elementary-aged kids, as well as solid color, more sturdy backpacks for middle/high schoolers. Contact kelly@sunshineplace.org for a flyer customized with your logo and/or donation drop-off information, to promote your drive!
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**Please note, we are NOT accepting school supply donations from the community. We can get more supplies for less through our bulk suppliers, and are intentional about purchasing the supplies that Sun Prairie students need. |
SUMMER KIDS CHALLENGE:
Kids can help too! We invite kids ages 17 and younger to find creative ways to fundraise for Stuff the Bus. Past participants have done lemonade stands, bake sales, craft sales, car washes, and more! Get your friends together or go it alone, and raise funds that help fellow students have the supplies they need to start the school year prepared to learn. |
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Every kid who participates in the Summer Kids Challenge receives a token for a free scoop of Culver’s frozen custard, and will be entered into a drawing to receive the grand prize: frozen custard for a year from Culver’s (a total of 12 pints) and a Culver's backpack stuffed with fun items!
Please have entries for the Summer Kids Challenge submitted by Thursday, August 9th. The grand prize winner will be drawn and contacted on August 14th. At that time we will also share information on how all kids who completed the summer challenge can collect their free scoop token.
Special thanks to Bank of Sun Prairie, for being a founding sponsor of our Stuff the Bus program, and to Culver’s of Sun Prairie for their generous donation toward the Summer Kid's Challenge! |
Buy your Madison Mallards Tickets or Game Day Ticket Package to Support Sunshine Place! |
Sunshine Place will be featured as the Non-Profit Spotlight at the Madison Mallards game on Sunday, August 2nd, and we want YOU at the game! There are TWO different ways to purchase Madison Mallards tickets for the August 2nd game, to support Sunshine Place programs:
Option 1: Buy your tickets through the link below, and for EVERY ticket sold, $8 will be donated towards Sunshine Place programs that support our neighbors. Click here to support Sunshine Place & get your tickets!
Option 2: For only $29/package, receive a Colonel Corn Maynard bobblehead, a $10 Buck & Honey's coupon, AND a ticket to the August 2nd Mallard's game. For every package sold, $5 will go towards Sunshine Place programs that support our neighbors. Click here to purchase your Game Day ticket package(s)!
🦆Thank you to the Madison Mallards, Buck & Honey's, and WKOW 27 for this opportunity to highlight and support Sunshine Place programs! |
✨ Sponsor our annual fundraising event! ✨ |
Our annual Sunshine Celebration fundraiser is coming up on October 15th, at The Oaks in Cottage Grove. Sunshine Place relies on proceeds from this annual fundraising event to sustain vital programs that help families and individuals facing hardship access food, housing, and other necessities for stability. Event sponsors are crucial to the success of this event and the Sunshine Place programs that benefit from it. Become a sponsor today, and visit our Sunshine Celebration webpage to learn more about the event. Click the Sponsorship Opportunities image below to enlarge or print, or reach out to susan@sunshineplace.org to secure your sponsorship. |
- Utility Assistance program client/staff communication |
Are you a Sunshine Place client, volunteer, or donor with a story to share? Send your stories to socialmedia@sunshineplace.org or, fill out our online story form. All stories stay anonymous unless otherwise requested by a client. |
Neighbors Helping Neighbors |
We are so grateful to the groups, businesses, and individuals who have recently volunteered, donated, and organized drives or events to support our mission. Sunshine Place programs are possible thanks to our community’s generosity and commitment to helping one another.
Below are just a few photo highlights showcasing recent support. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see more stories of impact and kindness. |
A record number of families and individuals are turning to us for help with food, housing, and other essential needs. Your support ensures our neighbors can find hope and help at Sunshine Place when they need it most. Thank you! |
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