Emory University junior Alison (Alcie) Browne brought Project Sunshine, a non-profit organization, to Emory’s campus this fall after interning at the Project Sunshine headquarters in New York City this summer.
“Project Sunshine is a nonprofit organization that provides free educational, recreational, and social programs to children and famlies living with medical challenges,” the website states.
Over 10,000 volunteers visit over 60,000 children facing medical issues and their families, in 150 US cities and in five international locations: Canada, China, Israel, Kenya, and Puerto Rico.
The college chapters of Project Sunshine are responsible for volunteering in medical facilities with the children and their families. They also participate in various fundraising activities. Her Campus Emory sat down with Alcie to find out a little bit more about her experience at the Project Sunshine headquarters this summer, and learn about her plans for Project Sunshine Emory.
Her Campus Emory (HCE): Can you describe your experience this summer?
Alcie: I not only had the chance to plan events for community and corporate groups, but I also got to participate in the activities, and plan my own volunteer events. The types of programs that I participated in ranged from tutoring and book club to hosting a carnival themed party with a group of corporate volunteers. We also educated children and their families about nutrition. For example, we offered a service called Sunshine Chefs where we would make a healthy snack food (i.e. a yogurt parfait) with the kids and teach them about what they are eating. Many of these kids had never tasted fruit or yogurt in their lives, which made it especially important for us to introduce healthy foods in a fun way. Seeing these children learn something new while having fun was an extremely rewarding experience. This is the main reason why I have decided to start this chapter at Emory; I want to continue to spread Project Sunshine’s message and just let kids be kids.
HCE: What activities are you planning in the near future?
Alcie: Project Sunshine Emory recently had its first special service event where we made Halloween themed Sunny Gram Cards and Craft Kits. We will begin volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House on November 3rd, where we will play games and do arts and crafts with the families that stay there. We will be volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House and at Children’s Hospital of Atlanta on a regular basis, and we will have more special service events and fundraisers in the coming months.
HCE: How can Emory students participate in Project Sunshine Emory events?
Alcie: Emory students who are interested in being part of Project Sunshine Emory should contact me (Alison Browne via learnlink) so that I can give them more details on meeting times, volutneer dates and even more ways to get involved. We also have a facebook page which I encourage you to “like” because all events and updates get posted there. Special service and fundraising events are opened to everyone but volunteering in the hospitals requires a training session. If you want more information on Project Sunshine at a national level, you can visit the Project Sunshine website.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Emory chapter.