Project Sunshine is celebrating 25 years. As we reflect on our growth and learnings, we’re humbled by how far we’ve come, grateful for the community and partnerships built, and excited by the opportunities to serve even more children and families with medical needs.
In honor of this milestone, we’re starting this blog series to hear from key individuals who have played a vital role in the organization's journey.
The series begins with Whitney Namm Pollack, Chief Executive Officer, who joined in 2018 and has been instrumental in expanding innovative program offerings and outlining a strategic plan for future growth.
Read on as Whitney reflects on the significant accomplishments that have propelled Project Sunshine forward. 
“When the opportunity to join Project Sunshine came my way, I immediately knew I wanted to be part of this mission to bring joy to children and families in need through this unique mobilization of volunteers and contribute to the advancement of this important work.
One of the early defining moments for me was the opportunity to shape and build our Board of Directors and senior leadership team. We worked closely with Board members to build a strong governance structure by appointing officers and form working committees led by board members. It was also a time to foster a culture rooted in empathy and kindness among individuals who shared the passion for bringing joy to children with medical needs. We brought on committed professionals with diverse expertise to help guide and advance our mission. This work proved to be especially important as we entered the trying times of the pandemic.
While our commitment to bringing healing play and joy to children never wavered, the pandemic presented unprecedented challenges for our organization. Our Here to Play programming came to a halt as hospitals closed their doors. We had to find new and creative ways to adapt and make sure we were carrying out our mission during an especially critical time for our population. That’s when we launched TelePlay, a virtual play program to bring much needed connection to isolated pediatric patients. Today, TelePlay continues to serve patients and families in need, both in medical settings and even at home.
In our next chapter of growth, we’re looking to scale our innovative programs to serve 1.6 million children in the next five years — setting us up for an annual reach of 500,000 children. We’ll focus on program enhancement, volunteer engagement, and technology implementation to reach this goal. We know it’s ambitious, but we’re ready and excited for the challenge, especially if it means we get to serve more children and families.
Project Sunshine would not be where we are today without the unwavering support from our Board, staff, partners, volunteers, and our families. Looking forward, we will continue to evaluate and enhance programming through research, create community amongst partners, patients, and volunteers, and ultimately, spread more sunshine and play to the children who need it most.”
We are thankful for Whitney's leadership and commitment to furthering our mission and excited about what the future holds. Keep an eye out for the next story in this 25 Years series!
