SUNNY @ The University of Michigan
SUNNY, a student-run nonprofit organization at the University of Michigan, collaborates with local foster homes to provide valuable support. We facilitate tutoring programs, penpal initiatives, a summer camp, a holiday gift drive, and so much more to enrich the lives of children in foster care.
Homes we are currently partnered with:
Christ Child Society
Girlstown
Vista Maria
Our House
MCHS Family of Services
100+
Children Supported
50+
Volunteers
Projects to Support
Every year with Sunny we have our Holiday Gift Drive and our annual SUNNY Gala. Both of these are dependent on the generosity of our community. We value and appreciate any support we are able to receive! Thank you for your assistance in the past, and we hope to see you support us in the future!
Stay up to date with the latest news, events, and stories from SUNNY at the University of Michigan. Our updates showcase the impact of our programs and the heartwarming moments we share with the children in foster care.
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Our
Story
Get to Know Us
Sunny was founded in December of 2019 on the University of Michigan campus with one goal in mind: to shine a light on the lives of foster kids'.
Our initial desire was to hold one monthly event with Christ Child House– a residential care facility– in Detroit and then later expand to other facilities.
In January of 2020, after a midnight bake sale, we held our first event at a donated basketball court in the South End of Dearborn, Michigan. In February of 2020, we held our second event at the Detroit Historical Museum. In March of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic occurred and we had to pivot.
Despite seeing the positive impact that our monthly events held with the kids, we were no longer able to conduct in-person contact, and frankly, there was no need for it as larger problems were looming. Due to the need to pivot to online learning and lack of resources and funds the home had, we supplied them with laptops for each child, PPE for staff and children, trauma bears, and home cooked meals when the home's cook was not able to come into work because they had caught COVID-19.
Post-pandemic, we have pivoted back to in person events and expanded to 4 residential care facilities– Christ Child Society, Our House, Girlstown, and Vista Maria. We hold a monthly event with each of the children and teens from the homes aimed at fostering mentorship and positive experiences. We cater each event to what the children themselves ask for in handwritten lists/requests so we know this is directly what the children want.
We have seen immense improvement with the children and teens that we work with and we credit it to consistency. We strive to be consistent in our services and events offered and are excited to continue doing this work.