Sunny Kids- Changing Lives

Sunny Kids- Changing Lives

SunnyKids are changing the lives of local kids who really need help this Christmas.  I am part of their appeal to help 150 families on the Coast.  I know many of us do not have heaps of spare money at Christmas because we are buying gifts and paying bills and still chipping away at paying for the extra groceries and drinks at this time of year. But trust me, there are thousands of kids doing it way tougher than you and I are doing it.   Some kids live with parents who are ice addicts.  Some kids cannot afford lunch.

Others do not have any positive role models in their lives.  More still do not know if there will be any money for food on the table tomorrow.  Enter the ‘Santa 600 for Sunny Kids’ campaign.  We are hoping to support 150 local families this Christmas and right through next year.

Right now there are kids who do not feel safe and who do not know where they will sleep tonight.  That is outrageous. The idea is to try to find 150 local businesses or families who will donate $600 for the year to help one family.  The amount is tax deductible. This works out to be $1.64 per day or $50 per month.  It is a small amount really when you think of the dire situation so many of our kids are in. Mayor Mark Jamieson is the patron of SunnyKids and says, “If it takes a village to raise a child, then SunnyKids is certainly an important mainstay in our village.” The mayor added “The vision is a society in which everyone feels safe, belongs and has a chance to reach their full potential – and I am sure it is one that resonates strongly with many people.”

The annual SunnyKids report from 2017/2018 shows 755 kids were supported on the Coast in the past financial year. Those children received financial and emergency relief, counselling, parenting and mentoring courses, substance misuse counselling, social and community housing assistance.  Also on the list: medical support, immigration advice, legal advice, mental health support, sexual assault counselling and kids wellbeing programs.  SunnyKids helps kids aged 0-12 years old and offers around –the- clock support.

It gives 8,000 overnight stays per year for women and children who are homeless due to family and domestic violence. Former Bronco, Jack Reed, is an ambassador for SunnyKids and is a mentor through sports at 4 schools with disadvantaged kids. “We work with 10 disengaged kids who don’t want to turn up to school and we try and run sports based activities while trying to give them the important messages about their health and the person they want to be and we talk about their personal brand and try to inform them as much as possible so they can turn their lives around and head in the right direction, “Jack said.  “The kids seem to open up to us and the turn on the kids is amazing as the first few days they don’t want a piece of you but that all changes once they realise we are here to just help them,” the football legend added.

You can find links on the SunnyKids or MixFm websites if you would like to help another family at this time of year. We already have some wonderful local businesses and individuals pledge their $600 per year. Have a wonderful Christmas it really can be the best time of the year.  The trouble is it can also be the worst.

– Sami xx