What’s Happening

After 35 years of unwavering love, laughter, and care, our beloved Barbara McFarlane is retiring—and we’re finding it hard to put into words just how much she has meant to the Sunshine family. When Barbara first began working at Sunshine back in 1990, she started in the Infant Unit and quickly realized that her “work” at Sunshine would become more than a job to her. To Barbara, the children were never defined by their diagnoses or limitations. “I never thought of the kids as being sick, I just saw them as normal kids to love,” she said. “Who are we…

April is National Volunteer Month—a time to celebrate the amazing people who truly make a difference by donating their time, energy, and sharing their hearts to make our world brighter. At Sunshine Children’s Home, we’re so lucky to have such wonderful volunteers who bring so much warmth, compassion, and joy to our children every day. This month, we’re shining a light on one of those volunteers: Maureen, who spends her weekends with the littlest residents in our Sapling Unit.

Thank You, Assemblywoman Amy R. Paulin! We were very happy to welcome you last week into our Sunshine Home. We truly appreciated and enjoyed your visit!

Love was in the air at our Valentine Pop-Up Shop! Our YARP group brought extra joy to the building with their special Valentine goodies for staff to purchase. But the sweetest surprise? The heartfelt rose deliveries made by the children in YARP!  Last year, these roses were a huge hit, and it wasn’t just the beautiful blooms that made hearts melt — it was the smiles and love delivered along with them.

Our Sunshine Chanukah Celebration was so fun and delightful! The Clubhouse was transformed into a Chanukah sensory experience, with glow-in-the-dark dreidel glasses, light-up menorah headbands, flashing mini menorah chains, and light-up dreidels. With lively Chanukah music playing in the background, the children were paired into teams with staff to play a competitive game of dreidel using a large blow-up dreidel, enabling the children to toss it easily. The children participated in fun interactive Chanukah games, including Pin the Candle on the Menorah, Chanukah-themed ink stamps used to decorate paper, and hitting our special Menorah Pinata until it opened, revealing chocolate…

A huge shout out to Leah Salinas, our Nursing Educator and in-house photographer, for the pre-Christmas photo shoot! The children all looked so festive, dressed in their holiday best, as they sat on Santa’s lap. Christmas was celebrated with visits from Santa, who bore gifts for all! Carly, our Music Therapy intern, came to play lively Christmas carols for the children as they gathered around the tree. The children each received a stocking stuffed with fun Christmas crafts and activities!

The Sunshine kids had a festive treat! Ossining Girl Scouts, Troop 1296, spread holiday cheer with joyful songs and handmade ornaments for our Christmas tree. Their visit brightened the day for our children and staff!

Sunshine was filled with joy and cheer on November 19 as our children showcased their creative costumes and impressive floats in our annual Thanksgiving Parade! Mark, a nurse from the Maple Unit, led the parade and sounded the arrival of our little parade goers by blowing his bagpipe. It was truly a spectacular sight! The floats were imaginative and showed some impressive talent!

Sunshine Swim Club is making a splash! Our children love our indoor pool, where aquatic therapy helps them build physical strength, increase flexibility, and support sensory integration goals.

Nothing beats Spa Day at Sunshine! From massages to mani-pedis, our girls get all the pampering they deserve!