2021 SGM Annual Report

ANNUAL REPORT 2021
B EYOND
20/20
CONVICTION | COURAGE | CREATIVITY

FROM THE DESK OF OUR
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR...
Just prior to the start of 2021, I was reminded that new problems
require CREATIVITY, new pressures require CONVICTION, and new possibilities
require COURAGE. This reflection came from Romans 8:37–39, which reminded
me that in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who
loved us.
Beyond 20/20 – Conviction, Courage and Creativity became my prayer
and our SGM theme for 2021. We were not merely aspiring to move past the
year 2020, but to have 20/20 vision beyond the lingering effects of the pandemic
and the harsh civil and systemic inequities that we faced in the world.
In 2021, we were able to move beyond what had left an imprint, both
emotionally and physically, on society as we’ve known it. We set a 2021 SGM
team goal of consistent prayer for clarity on how best to move forward in
serving our Woodlawn community and beyond. God answered our prayers.
We used our God-given clarity to cast vision for programs that serve
our youth, families, and guests of Woodlawn. This allowed us to keep our SGM
philosophy forefront-mission, vision, and core values- while renewing our personal and collective covenant to
serve through Sunshine Gospel Ministries and prayer together weekly.
Then, we used our Godly CONVICTION to be COURAGEOUS, even daring, in overcoming obstacles CREATIVELY.
We grew our Familyhood programming, enhanced our Bridge Builder experience with a proprietary Poverty
Simulator, hit the reset button on our Youth Outreach with in-person day camp this summer and continued
in-person youth and family programs safely this fall. We launched a new initiative to address housing insecurities,
and received training and certification for our FCI team in trauma informed practices related to gun
violence intervention. I am pleased to share that our team served with excellence, despite setbacks.
My heartfelt thanks go to our thoughtful, generous donors for being in this work with us! Beyond your
financial resources, your moral support, constant encouragement, and creative ideas spurred and strengthened
our SGM Team. Youth, families, and community still need us. They need our hands-on care when ongoing
distancing is wise counsel, exacerbating already strained, often isolated lives. They need our direct
impact, revealing to the world how to solve the challenge of disinvestment, specifically in African American
communities. They need our programmatic touch to heal such ills as health inequities, educational disparities,
economic disparities including those related to trauma and mental illness, housing insecurity, and unemployment.
They need—we all need—the light of the Gospel, focused on tangible and visible renewal and Shalom.
One final take away from 2021 was our SGM Team’s monthly sharing and meditating on “One Another” verses.
The Biblical occurrences of this phrase guided us and had a direct impact on our witness before the world as
image bearers of God. I am grateful to God for what our Sunshine
Team, our donor family, our Woodlawn community, and our
trusted partners have accomplished together through fruitful
collaboration. We all used our Godly CONVICTION to serve COURA-
GEOUSLY with CREATIVITY. My hope, in looking toward 2022 and beyond,
is that we continue to collectively live into Hebrews 10:24:
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward
love and good deeds.”
KIMBERLY SALLEY
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
1

TABLE OF CONTENTS
3-6
7-8
9-10
11-12
13-14
15
16
17-18
CONVICTION, COURAGE, AND
CREATIVITY FOR OVER 100 YEARS
YOUTH OUTREACH PROGRAM CREATIVELY
REACHES KIDS AND FAMILIES
FLOURISHING COMMUNITY INITIATIVE
BUILDS TEAM AND SKILL SET
FAMILYHOOD LAUNCHES NEW
INITIATIVES TO REACH FAMILIES
BRIDGEBUILDERS WELCOMES GROUPS TO
LEARN MORE ABOUT FAITH AND JUSTICE
LETTER FROM THE HAMERNICKS
FINANCIALS
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2022 NEW
HOUSING AND BUILDING INITIATIVES
2

Read many more inspiring stories of God’s faithfulness throughout the decades
by visiting our website. www.sunshinegospel.org/history
OVER 115 YEARS SERVING CHICAGO
FAMILIES WITH CONVICTION,
COURAGE AND CREATIVITY
A group of kids stands outside Sunshine Gospel Mission in the
1930’s when it was located at 602 N Clark St.
I
n the 1940s and 50’s Sunshine was led by Bill and
Mildred Dillon. Using the CREATIVITY of music and Mildred’s
gift for composing music, they led a music
ministry at Sunshine. Mildred would go on to compose
many hymns within her lifetime, the most wellknown
being “Safe Am I”.
The story of this hymn began on April 14, 1937 when
a tornado brought a brick chimney (over 18 tons) down on
her while she was playing the piano at the Tabernacle. While
buried in the rubble she was comforted by the knowledge
that she was safe in God’s hands. She and her husband became
musical ministers with evangelist Paul Rader. While
traveling by boat to England for ministry, Mildred was
awakened during a terrible storm. The storm reminded her
that when she was injured
in the tornado, she was safe
in God’s hands. The music
came to her in the midst of
the ocean storm and she
put together the words and
music to the song, which
has since brought comfort
to many.
Bill and Mildred faithfully
served Sunshine for many
years following in the footsteps
of Bill’s father, Michael
Dillon.
3

Through Various Seasons and
Chapters in Sunshine’s Story God
has Faithfully Led and Provided
S
unshine has always held a deep CONVICTION that each person is created in the image
of God with inherent worth and dignity. This conviction has been put to the test
time and again, but perhaps one of the most notable times was during the 1960’s Civil
Rights era. Since 1944 Sunshine had rented a campground in Pembine, WI in order to
provide summer camp ministry and experiences for youth from the city.
As racial tensions grew in the late 1950’s and 60’s it became increasingly obvious that
our youth were not welcomed in the area. Sunshine made the decision to leave this camp and
purchase a camp in Union, MI. They would go on to run this camp for the next 40+ years. Fighting
for racial equity and justice will always remain a core conviction for Sunshine. We have not
always led perfectly, but we remain steadfast in our desire to work towards justice as a reflection
of God’s Kingdom.
A group of Sunshine youth play in the water
at camp in Union, MI in the early 1990’s.
Later this camp would be sold in order to
purchase the current Sunshine buildings
in Woodlawn. Though we no longer own a
campground, we still value summer experiences
through sending our youth to Kids
Across America, YoungLife, and running our
own daycamps in the city.
4
A group from Sunshine relaxes by the lake at camp Sun-Chi-Win in Pembine,
WI in 1950.

IN THE 1990’S SUNSHINE OPERATED IN THE CABRINI-
GREEN NEIGHBORHOOD UNDER DIRECTOR DANA THOMAS
I
n 1994 Sunshine was struggling with direction,
leadership and finances and had
to decide once again whether to close
its doors or not. The board at that time
decided to give it one more chance by
selling its property on Larrabee St. in order
to have the money to hire an Executive
Director and give him just enough runway to
see if he could keep it going. Dana Thomas had
been volunteering with students in Cabrini with
FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) and was
asked to consider working full time with Cabrini
kids at Sunshine as the Executive Director. The
amount Sunshine was able to pay him was significantly
lower than his current job but both he and
his wife felt the call of God to jump in full time and
to trust Him to provide the difference. One church
asked him what needs he had and he asked them
to pray about his insurance situation. The next
week his former boss let him know that for the
foreseeable future he would be covering Dana’s
family’s insurance needs in full.
In an act of COURAGE and faith the board decided
to sell the property they had in order to provide
direction for the ministry and that provision was Dana &
Bridgette Thomas! They stepped out in courage believing
that God would not only provide care for the children and
families of Cabrini but also that God would care for the
needs of their own family. Through this decision Dana led
the ministry into a period of growth in the city while still
maintaining the camp property.
5

Testimony of Leaders from the
1930’s, 1950’s, and 1990’s all
Proclaim God’s Faithfulness
“Lest we Forget”
W
e could recall countless stories of God’s provision for us!
Below is an excerpt from a newsletter that staff leader
Lester Wilcox mailed out in the 1950’s where he is harkening
back to the 1930’s when Director Michael Dillon had a
group praying for God’s provision to keep coal in the
furnace of their building.
It’s humbling to read of the COURAGE it took for the many executive directors that
came before us (Michael Dillon, Bill Dillon, Dave Brown, Leonard Harris, Lenard Morris, Dick St. Marie,
Terry Shutter, Dana Thomas) to have faith that God would continue to provide. Joel Hamernick
recalls a particular Christmas in 2013 when the bank account had gotten pretty low and
he was agonizing over how to pay all the bills. Once again God showed up. As the mail
was gathered from that week, an unexpected donation for thousands of dollars came in from
the estate of a woman who had passed away that year. Joel recalls sitting at his desk with
tears streaming down his face, thanking God once again for His faithfulness. As Lester Wilcox
reminded us many years ago to remember the many men and women of faith such as Moses
who had courage to trust, “Take heed to thyself, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes
have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart.” (Deut. 4:9) Sunshine has seen many different
seasons and iterations of ministry during the past 115+ years. Through it all, God has led and
proven His love for the communities of Chicago we serve. We are excited to watch God lead
into this next chapter of Sunshine’s story as we continue to serve in the Woodlawn community!
6

“This summer it was good to see the kids enjoy themselves
while also learning how to make new things such
as a walking robot or their own bubbles, and learning
more about the Bible.”
-Australia Anderson
Elementary Program Assistant
7

SERVING ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
8
T
his year our Youth Outreach
ministries have
worked tirelessly to
reach youth as we navigated
the restrictions
of the pandemic, knowing the
toll virtual learning and social
distancing was having on the
emotional health of our youth.
Our staff rallied to come up with
creative and innovative solutions
to continue to meet the needs of
the students in our programs.
Director of Youth Outreach
Programs Taryn Fears shares, “The
first part of 2021 was defined by
CREATIVITY as we were forced to
think outside the box, inventing
new ways to engage and educate
our youth through virtual programming
doing Art and STEM programs
as well as a Virtual College
tour for our High School students.”
Once Summer programming began,
we were able to move to inperson
day camps and programs
for youth with safety protocols in
place. Overwhelmingly, students
were so grateful and excited to
be together again! It was a flurry
of activities, field trips, Bible studies,
and running the Work Life program
for teens. “We also saw a lot
of creativity this summer in implementing
our job-placement and
skills-training program for our
teens. We were able to partner
with an Urban Gardening Project
which provided employment and
skills to eight of our students,”
Fears states.
The staff showed tremendous
resilience and COURAGE as
they showed up for students and
their families in doing wellness
checks and helping to connect
them to resources they needed.
Sunshine has been a support system
to many families during an
uncertain time. Our staff is deeply
passionate about supporting the
physical, emotional, and spiritual
growth of our students. As the
pandemic progressed, we realized
more than ever there was a
need for dedicated time set apart
to study the Bible and pray together.
This strong CONVICTION
led to developing a Saturday Bible
study for Middle School students
so they could have additional
time during the week to connect
spiritually.
Our staff is deeply passionate
about supporting the physical,
emotional, and spiritual growth
of our students.
-Taryn Fears, YO Director

I
n 2020 Sunshine launched a new initiative to address the multi-faceted
need for a trauma-informed approach to gun violence. The team connected
with other communities who had successfully trained in and
implemented the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI) model.
This model lends itself to
FCI providing individual support
and case management
to promote the healing of
our clients. We collaborate to
offer full wrap- around services
with community stakeholders
that provide mental
wellness, education, job assistance,
and relocation. Additionally
we build relationships
with law enforcement
both locally and city-wide to
advocate for more equitable practices.
9

T
WE SEEK
TO
SERVE
50-60
FAMILIES
IN 2022
he groundwork laid in 2020 for our Flourishing Community Initiative has begun to
bear fruit in 2021! We completed our training through HAVI and received certification
as Violence Prevention Professionals. Our team was able to hire a new case
manager, Elijah Olige. We formed strong relationships with two local hospitals,
established relationships with local partners, and were welcomed in an advisory
capacity at district and city-wide law enforcement meetings.
Elijah highlighted the work with local neighborhood activists,
“It was so encouraging to see neighbors who have been working
for decades to address these issues continue to fight and
win the small battles.”
Intervention Specialist Donnell Williams shared the highlight
of his year was training and networking with other providers
who have been doing the important work of bringing
healing practices to communities affected by gun violence.
Managing Director Arnold Sojourner found great joy in watching
the team grow, collaborate, and share perspectives as they
serve in various ways in the community. “At the inception of FCI
was the deep CONVICTION that trauma causes the survivor
to question the most fundamental aspect of their life, which
is safety, and then leads to a domino effect of being or causing
harm. This often leads to retaliation and must be addressed
with a multi-faceted approach.”
The team was
able to listen, learn, and
train from experienced
communities who have
a history of implementing
strategies that have
proven to be effective in
reducing recidivism and
support healing. “We have also been given tremendous
CREATIVITY to think outside the box
as we grow this initiative,” Arnold said. FCI has
also been working on data collection in collaboration
with Wheaton College students. Wheaton
grad and Sunshine FCI Coordinator Piper
Graham shared, “Working with the college students
was really encouraging as we watched
“It was so encouraging
to see neighbors who
have been working for
decades to address
these issues continue
to fight and win the
small battles.”
-Elijah Olige
Case Manager
them learn and grow in their understanding of the complexity of gun violence. It
was so good to see perspectives begin to shift.”
The entire team acknowledges that working in this particular area is a heavy
lift. It takes tremendous COURAGE and resilience to show up each day and walk
alongside people that are in the depths of trauma. Our team prioritizes supporting
one another and providing mental health services to our staff. We are privileged to
continue the work God has called us to through FCI.
10

“I am grateful for the connection my family and I have had
with Familyhood. It has been a blessing in so many ways.
A few things that come to mind when I think about
Familyhood are the opportunities for physical,
spiritual and emotional enrichment and the far
reaching capacity it has to impact the whole
family.”
-Familyhood parent
11

RESTORE FAMILIES RENEW COMMUNITIES
S
unshine’s Familyhood Program has had a year of
tremendous growth in 2021! They have piloted 6 new
programs (Taking the Assets Home, Family-Activities-
Meals, Your Money Matters, Building Men, Family Time
and Retreats, and 7 Traits of Effective Parenting) as
well as added 5 new Facilitators leading cohorts. They continued
to gain great participation in the Raising Highly Capable
Kids cohorts as well as their new pilot programs. All together
they have led 12 cohorts with 95 participants throughout the
year. Familyhood has also provided one-on-one support with
207 unique virtual or in-person connections.
An exciting new opportunity began in September with
the launch of a new site, Simpson Academy, a Chicago public
high school for teen mothers. Familyhood
began teaching their Raising
Highly Capable Kids curriculum at this
school.
Familyhood Director Sasha Simmons
reflects on 2021, “This year was
a year of growth that required conviction,
courage, and creativity in so
many ways! CONVICTION was demonstrated
through encouraging facilitators
to share their faith, to be bold
in their faith and lead in a manner
that points people to Christ. It took
tremendous COURAGE for families
to engage and share during such a
vulnerable time (in the middle of the
pandemic). CREATIVITY was an essential
element needed to transition
programs from in-person to solely being
offered virtually without losing the
enthusiasm, authenticity, and ability to
create a space where the foundation
for lifelong connections are formed.”
“My experience with the Taking the Assets Home
workshop was very enlightening. I learned a lot about
communicating/ listening and allowing my teenagers
to be heard. I looked forward to our weekly sessions
and learned that as parents we all share similar experiences.
I enjoyed all of the ladies who participated and
learned from their parenting methods.”
-Familyhood parent
12

I
t may seem that we are becoming more polarized each day as a country. In 2021,
our BridgeBuilders program became more necessary and relevant than ever as we
led many online discussions and book studies surrounding the issues of the day.
As the pandemic slowed we were able to physically welcome guests for in-person
service-learning trips. BridgeBuilders is truly a place to safely process thoughts, feelings,
and questions around race, poverty, and faith. BridgeBuilders Coordinator Piper Graham
shares, “It takes COURAGE to engage in conversations surrounding race, faith, and justice.
For our BridgeBuilders, it takes courage to enter these conversations as it may be the first
time they are talking about the topic of race and faith.”
Through our in-person service learning trips, we seek to share the beauty and brokenness
of our community. One of our deep CONVICTIONS is to celebrate beauty. There is
often a single narrative of places like the southside
of Chicago. The narrative is that there is immense
violence and poverty. Sometimes the assumption
can be that God is not moving in these
places. Through BridgeBuilders, participants
learn to see and celebrate the beauty of neighborhoods
like ours. God is moving and we are excited
to share the highlights that lead to bridges
being built between cultures that are politically,
culturally, and socially divided. Celebration creates
a way for reconciliation.
2021 allowed for more CREATIVITY in our curriculum
offering a variety of ways
people can engage. BridgeBuilders Director CW
Allen found joy in the process, “One of the things
that excited me most about joining BridgeBuilders
was the freedom to create. We have recently
implemented a Woodlawn-specific poverty simulation,
Hip Hop parties/concerts, and tee-shirt
designs. We will continue to create new content.
We address a lot of heavy, traumatic topics in
our work so we love finding creative ways to experience
our neighborhood, history, and various
cultures.”
13

CONTACT OUR
TEAM IF YOU WANT
TO JOIN THE
CONVERSATION!
WE ARE CUR-
RENTLY BOOKING
TRIPS FOR 2022!
OUR TEAM IS ALSO
ABLE TO TRAVEL
TO YOU TO RUN
OUR POVERTY
SIMULATION.
“I’m convinced more than
ever that we need more
BridgeBuilders- people who
are willing to learn, grieve,
and celebrate with each
other. It can be awkward and
painful as we cross cultures,
denominations, and communities.
But if we are truly
going to be one human race
we must learn to love each
other in the midst of our differences.”
-CW Allen
BridgeBuilders Director
14

A LOVE LETTER TO
OUR SUNSHINE FAMILY
When we took the baton of leadership passed down through the decades from one Director to another,
we had no idea how God would provide nor what was possible. We had so much to learn but all the enthusiasm
of a young couple with nothing to lose. Before passing the full weight of responsibility to Kimberly Salley
and the amazing current
Sunshine staff and board, we thought it would be
important to acknowledge those who have been on
this journey with us and who have helped us carry
the baton. There have been more than 80 staff, 20
board members, and 1100 donors, who have sustained
the work with a lifetime collective total of
tens of millions of dollars supporting upwards of
10,000 children and families just in the last 22 years.
These many people have come to mean so much to
us and without them we could not have imagined
programs that strengthened families, loved on children,
built businesses, redeveloped buildings, and
dreamed of a community that exhibits Shalom: the
world as it ought to be.
The collective impact of passionate staff,
supported by donors with open hearts, all of whom
know and believe in the importance of the work
of the Gospel and the transformation of lives and
communities, cannot be underestimated. The work of Sunshine over the last 22 years has been a together
thing; a family thing. The work of the Gospel is something that has brought rich and poor, black and white,
urban and suburban and even various political and doctrinal persuasions together in an effort that bridges
common human divisions.
We cannot say enough about the staff and families who saw the vision for an urban camp and believed
in us enough to uproot their own lives to join us in the work. The Woods, Rees, Benner, Scott and King
families brought what they had learned about camping at Camp Forest Springs and worked together to build
the coolest urban camp we could envision. The years of sweet fellowship, hard work and creativity amidst
personal hardships while working with such a tight budget was one of the best
adventures of our lives. The Ballenger, Murphy, Clark, Blodgett, Roy, Avery, Allen, Williams, and Daly
families as well as Ann, Tori, Chris, Brittney, Ashley, Andy, Jennifer, Ryan, Sojo to name a few, and of course all the
rest of our current Sunshine Enterprises and Sunshine Gospel staff created a family within the Cabrini and
Woodlawn communities that to this day lives with joy and intention, loving each other well, creating a place
for the children and families to belong. Because of them those same children have known they mattered,
made it through difficult school situations, college, new jobs and now many have families of their own. Their
love, hard-work and creativity have paid huge dividends for eternity. What a joy and privilege it has been to
learn and work alongside you all!
Joel & Paula, Jared, Lauren, Josiah, Caleb, Karissa, Alex, Corban, Caden, and Kaylie
15

FINANCIALS
Richard Wilson
Chair
Kim Lodewyk
Vice Chair
Jay Schommer
Treasurer
Wendell Davis
Secretary
Cathy McNeil-Stein
Trustee
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Tuan Huynh
Trustee
Rebecca Gutwein
Trustee
Peter Kisluk
Trustee
Kimberly Salley
Executive Director
Joel Hamernick
President
16

LOOKING AHEAD
HOUSING
EQUITY
INITIATIVE
The homeownership rate
amongst our Woodlawn
neighbors is 20% compared
with the National
rate of 64%. Even worse,
157 of the 20th Ward’s
homeowners are in jeopardy of losing
their homes in the November
5th TY2018 tax sale. In response
to this dire situation, Sunshine has
officially launched the Home Equity
Initiative (HEI) to serve our community
in three areas of importance:
home retention, homeownership,
and neighborhood revitalization.
Sunshine has partnered with The
B.L.O.C.K. Movement and the Cook
County Treasurer’s Office to pilot
the Tax Sale Benevolence Program
(TSBP) to meet the urgent need of
home retention. We have designated
funds from generous donors for
immediate relief to remove homes
from the tax sale list. In doing so,
we are preventing family and tenant
displacement, securing the
primary asset in most families, and
interceding to stop families from
plummeting into poverty. In 2022
we look forward to supporting
families in building generational
wealth through our two other areas
of focus: home ownership and
neighborhood revitalization.
“We recognize that housing insecurity, high rents, and outstanding
tax bills strain the quality of life for many African American homeowners.
Home ownership is fundamental to family stability, health,
and generational wealth creation, and we are striving with collaborative
efforts to make this a reality.”
- Kimberly Salley
Executive Director
17

TOWARD 2022....
sunshine Gospel Ministries
and Sunshine
Enterprises have both
been in need of a new
space for several
years; the organizations have
outgrown their current spaces.
It has long been our desire to
have space to expand programming,
as well as space that is
designed for staff, kids, families
and entrepreneurs. This past
year the momentum has built
towards making this vision for
a new facility to come to reality.
Our local elected officials, Alderwoman
Jeanette Taylor and State
Representative Lamont Robinson,
along with some key donors, city
officials, and a first rate design
team, have engaged in an exciting
dialogue to plan to build a
community center capable of
serving not just the two Sunshine
organizations, but other stakeholders
too! We have identified 2
nearby sites and are in the process
of doing due diligence and
community engagement that will
steer our design protocols and
ultimately our capital campaign.
It’s an exciting time and we ask
that you pray for Gods guidance
and provision for this exciting
next phase of Sunshine’s impact
in Woodlawn!
NEW
BUILDING
INITIATIVE
18
“Ultimately, the goal is to see this building be a catalyst for continued growth and
improvement to the Woodlawn community we are so deeply committed to. With
this vision comes a need to involve a variety of stakeholders, which is why we are
eager to share more with all of you very soon. Make sure to stay tuned to opportunities
in the near future and the ways you can be involved!”
-Trenton Blythe
Director of Developement

500 E 61ST ST
CHICAGO, IL 60637
WWW.SUNSHINEGOSPEL.ORG