Spread Some Sunshine: home and away
Generous individuals, charities and businesses on the Costa Blanca have come together to support an international project and causes closer to home.
Spread Some Sunshine has worked through a ‘ difficult time’ thanks to backing from the community; allowing it to continue helping children in care and families living on the south west coast of Sri Lanka.
And the ‘ pass it on’ programme has paid dividends and spread muchneeded sunshine locally.
Helen and Steve Davis, the founders of Spread Some Sunshine, said they were able to feed youngsters and families in Sri Lanka thanks to working with others.
Helen added: Many have no income, government support, or families to help them. There is simply no other way to put food on tables, or help with school uniforms, materials and desperately needed house repairs without our help.
“Thanks to some kindhearted, openminded friends and businesses, our work has continued; we are grateful beyond words. We have not only maintained being able to send money each month to keep feeding the children, we have developed a ‘ pass it on’ side of the project which helps those on our very own doorstep.”
She said when Spread Some sunshine received cash donations, 100% of the money went to the overseas project via the Bank of Ceylon. Because of coronavirus difficulties, donated items – which would normally be sold at rastros and markets to raise more cash – were passed on to those in need locally.
Those to benefit so far have been the children’s ‘ preventorio’ in Gandia; the women’s refuge; church charity Caritas; Project Costa, which helps homeless people; the Original Charity Shop’s ‘ books for Africa’; and local families in need.
And the next ‘ pass it on’ project is to get Sunshine, the giant teddy bear, to a new home with the children of the Raquel Paya School in Denia.
Helen explained Mr Bear ‘ needed his bus fare’ and appealed for people to visit the Original Charity Shop in Javea and drop a few coins in a collection tin ‘ to help him on his way and feed hungry children at the same time’.
To find out more, visit the website www. spreadsomesunshine. es or the project’s Facebook page.