For many people as they age, they want to be remembered and honored by others. Whether you are a veteran who served during the Cold War era, or a grandmother spending her days doing fun activities with family and friends, the feeling of being remembered is one of utmost happiness.
To help make this a reality, a Grove City group known as the Sunshine Gang made it their mission to ensure joy is spread to these groups of often forgotten individuals. By raising money through craft shows as well as other community donations and events, the group makes it their prime focus to continuously spread rays of sunlight.
“The Sunshine Gang is a bunch of men and women that feel that we’re doing God’s work, trying to help other people who are less fortunate than we are, and let them know that they’re not forgotten,” Billie Strader, the co-founder of Sunshine Gang, says.
Celebrating four years, the group hopes to continue many of the fundraisers and activities that have made it what it is, while adding new programs to reach even more residents in the community.
Honoring through memorials
The group’s very first activity was making Christmas cards filled with tiny candy canes to give out at several local nursing homes including Carriage Court of Grove City, Monterey Health & Rehabilitation Center, and Hoover Haus Assisted Living. The following spring, they hosted their first craft show, aimed at raising funds so they could expand to provide bigger and better services.
Photo by Wilbert Steigerwald
One of the group’s largest focuses is to show appreciation to veterans, both locally and nationwide, which they do through nonprofit Honor Flight. The organization flies veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit monuments such as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima) and others.
These trips are fully paid for by Honor Flight and donations made through groups, such as the Sunshine Gang.
Their support doesn’t stop there though. After a long expedition filled with lots of emotions and experiences, when the veterans get on their flight home, they aren’t expecting what awaits them when they get back.
“A lot of them don’t know this, but their families, their friends and other people who want to welcome them home, are standing there (at the airport) cheering them on with posters,” Strader says. “So that’s why we do this. They fought for us, that’s the least we can do to let them know they’re not forgotten.”
Home visits
While the majority of the Sunshine Gang’s work is focused on honoring veterans, the group also works to ensure those living in nursing and retirement communities get the same love and attention.
The Sunshine Gang visits nursing homes around the community at least twice a year, with the goal of spending time with those that may be missing the connection of their loved ones. Grove City Mayor Ike Stage sometimes joins the group, especially around the end of the year.
The holiday season brings with it the biggest collection of Sunshine Gang involvement with many members making or buying gifts for residents of local nursing homes on top of the usual visits.
“It brings smiles to their faces, and they just really treasure those like they were the best, biggest gift in the world,” says Pam Moina who has been a member of the Sunshine Gang since its founding.
Chillicothe collective and more
The Sunshine Gang’s support goes well beyond Grove City. Recently, the group provided support for those affected by of the 2024 hurricane season, as well as produce meals for those in Ukraine living through conflict with Russia.
The group also takes monthly visits to Chillicothe, where they visit with local veterans at the town’s Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center.
The Chillicothe VA is a center for veterans to get health care, both mental and physical, while also providing a welcoming place to stay. When the group makes their monthly trip, they bring carloads of toiletries, word search books, clothes and whatever else the medical center requests from the group.
“We are only on this earth a short period of time, and I feel as if we need to do what the good Lord meant for us to do, to help other people, to expand our talents and what we do,” says Sandy Rader, a Sunshine Gang member for more than two years. “It’s just amazing, I am very proud to wear this (Sunshine Gang) shirt.”
Wil Steigerwald is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
