Written by Eastmark Leadership Class 2

Eastmark Leadership Class 2 is on a mission this fall to support Sunshine Acres, a children’s home in northeast Mesa. They provide a loving home for children ages 5 to 15 years old who are separated from their parents.

Children come to Sunshine Acres Children’s Home for a variety of reasons. Some have parents serving time in prison while others have a parent who is too ill to care for the child. For others, the family could be homeless or the child may have been living with grandparents who find it difficult to continue to care for their grandchildren.

Sunshine Acres receives no state funding and relies on thrift store sales and charitable donations to keep its doors open. Eastmark Leadership Class 2 selected the organization as the beneficiary of their three-month campaign to collect $1,500 in gift card donations.

Get Involved!

You can get involved by bringing gift cards for movie theaters, bowling alleys, quick-serve restaurants, ice cream shops, etc., to the First Friday Concerts where we will accept donations. In addition, bottled water and glow-in-the-dark items will be sold to raise additional funds for the organization. Class 2 plans to present the gift card donations to Sunshine Acres in time for the holiday season.

Eastmark Leadership was launched in February 2015 as an avenue for residents to deepen their knowledge of both Eastmark and the greater region, and to enhance their own leadership potential. The 10-month Eastmark Leadership experience culminates in a class project that is organized and executed by members of the class prior to the completion of the program.