Light Up a Life: Fund Sunny's Camp for Foster Kids

Sunny at UofM is a non-profit organization that enriches the lives of at-risk children, such as foster kids. 


In the past, we have had many events with foster children from the metro-Detroit area ranging from renting out a basketball court to museum field trips. With the pandemic nearing its end, we have begun planning for our Sunny Summer Camp and its associated programming— Sunny Field Trips— leading up to it. 


Sunny Summer Camp is a one-week-long camp at the University of Michigan for the children of Christ Child Society— a foster home in Detroit. The financial support that we receive would help ease the mental and physical hardships this pandemic has caused to the children, as these foster children have been hit especially hard by the pandemic (care workers have died of Covid-19, lack of technology for online learning, no visitation from living family members, delayed reunification efforts, etc.). Sunny Summer Camp is meant to alleviate the stress of these children by creating a fun, stress-free environment that also promotes an interest in higher education and opportunities for academic growth. 


The Sunny Summer camp costs 8,000 to implement. We have already secured half of it. We now need 4,000 dollars to feed the children, take them on a tour of the Michigan Big House (football stadium), science museum, field rentals, and more. An example budget is attached: 


Food (35 mouths to feed for lunch and 2 snacks) ($525/day): cost: $2,100

Equipment (Balls, water balloons, etc.): cost: $500

Excursions (Michigan Stadium Tour): cost: $700

Room Rentals (Palmer Field, (field $124/hour) (blacktop $78/hour): cost: $700


To prepare for the Sunny Summer Camp, we are also seeking funding for Sunny Field Trips in which we take the children out and expose them to experiences they would otherwise not be able to get due to the limited funding foster homes have. These field trips will be used to build bonds and get to know the children better so that they can maximize their enjoyment at the Sunny Summer Camp. We will hold these field trips with Christ Child Society as well as with other foster homes we are partnered with if we have any extra funds. 


Here is a list of events that have been approved by the foster home as well as their corresponding budgets: 


2-hour field rental ~$200 (just for space)
Arcade ~$600-700 (tokens)