Together We Can Make a Big Impact

2023 has brought record demand across Sunshine Place programs. More families and individuals than ever are turning to us for help with food, clothing, housing, and other essentials. 

We are so grateful to be part of a community that continues to step up and help our neighbors facing hardship. Below is a short video message from our staff about the impact of your donations, volunteer hours, and advocacy. 

Your help is needed more than ever, and there is still time to make an impact with a tax deductible gift in 2023. Thank you for your kindness and support. Happy Holidays from all of us at Sunshine Place!

Spirit of Giving Distributes Record Number of Gifts

Thank you to everyone who made this year's Spirit of Giving program a success! We are so grateful to everyone who sponsored families, donated funds, and volunteered their time to bring joy to kids in our community this holiday season. With your support, the program provided gifts to a record setting 631 families with 1,804 children! Thank you for making the holidays brighter for families facing hardship through your generosity.

C.A.R.D.S. Closet Volunteers Leave Legacy of Kindness

Sunshine Place would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Denise Wagner and Kathleen O’Shea, who recently retired as co-lead volunteers of C.A.R.D.S Closet. Like most of our programs, C.A.R.D.S Closet was born from someone's desire to fill a need, lend a hand, and better our community.

In 2010, Denise's then 12-year old son Sam pondered a question for a school project - how could one person make a difference? Sam knew there were kids in school who had closets full of nice, name brand clothing. And there were other kids who struggled to get a winter coat or gym shoes. He recruited his friend, Seamus, and with the help of their moms C.A.R.D.S Closet was born.

The kids worked to collect clothing and started by storing donations in the Wagner’s dining room. Later they moved to a storage unit, and in 2014 the project was brought under the Sunshine Place umbrella and moved into the 1632 W. Main Street location where it resides today.

The two moms, Denise and Kathleen, took that original spark of an idea and grew C.A.R.D.S Closet into a robust free clothing resource for youth in the Sun Prairie Area School District, and now Marshall as well.

Today, C.A.R.D.S Closet provides over 1,100 kids with free clothing each year. Youth are referred to the program through their school and choose clothing in a private appointment. Clothing items are donated from the community. School teachers and social workers who see kids who need winter boots, gym shoes, mittens, and more and know they have a place to turn to make sure their students have what they need.

We are in awe of what Kathleen and Denise have built to support kids in our community, and we are grateful to get to continue their work. With the help of a team of new volunteers, we have been able to transition C.A.R.D.S Closet to new volunteer leadership and are working hard to honor the founding volunteers’ legacy in our work daily.

Thank you, Kathleen and Denise, for your years of selfless service. You are a testament to the power of compassion and how we can make a difference together. Our community is better because of your hard work and kindness.