Started in 2008, Project Sunshine China delivered the healing power of play to children and youth in Beijing. The program was put on pause in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic. In late 2022 we decided to keep this program dormant for the foreseeable future. We are grateful to have had over a decade of wonderful and fruitful programming in the country.
Since 2012, we reached 31,016 children and families, averaging nearly 4,000 children per year. We partnered with six medical facilities, two were rehab facilities and one mental health facility, reaching children with a variety of medical challenges, including congenital heart disease, the leading cause of birth defects in China.
Over our time there, hundreds of volunteers carried out the Project Sunshine mission. Through our partnership with the Social Work Department at China Women’s University, we had a highly active volunteer corps of social work students. We had students studying sociology, English language, and pre-school education join us as well. Their volunteering time with Project Sunshine enabled them to earn credits toward their degrees.
We also hosted Kids for Kids and Teens for Kids chapters, which brought youth volunteers to hospitals. For Children’s Day, a national holiday in early June that celebrates and honors children, Project Sunshine China hosted annual outings to the Beijing Aquarium with patients and hospital staff from AnZhen hospital.
We thank those who have supported and watched the development and growth of Project Sunshine China over the years. While we are disappointed to bring this program to a permanent pause, we’re hopeful for future opportunities to share our services again.