Sunshine Communities

And in that moment, we knew ... Our family was COMPLETE.

We found our soulmates in each other at Sunshine Communities. Just as beautifully, we discovered our very purpose.

It was the 1970s. We were spending our days with children at Sunshine -- boys and girls who "rocked" their disabilities and whose love seemed boundless. When we began dreaming of our own family, the decision was clear: Adopt a child with Down syndrome.

Christopher came to us first in a picture mailed by a social worker in 1983. With a giant smile under his blond hair and his tiny legs straddling a rocking horse, we knew he was to be a part of our family. It was Wednesday and by Friday, he was our son. Joey came to us two years later, with shockingly dark hair and an exuberance for all things music and dance, and our little family felt complete with love brimming over the edges. The years have flown. Our sons have grown from toddlers to teens and now to kind, young men. Every day, there has been laughter. Every day, a hug. Every day, a reminder of why we are here. TOGETHER.

Joe and Christopher are now writing their own stories at Sunshine.

Once diagnosed with social anxiety, Chris has embraced his role in customer service alongside Sunshine's Super Snacks team. Joe tends to the horses and other animals in Sunshine's barn and is a smiling, often-singing, member of Sunshine's public outreach team, the Bunny Brigade. Both are guided by gentle, but goal-oriented, job coaches. They have friends and a love for life. Christopher's giant smile still touches the lives of all of those friends he meets. And Joe's love for music and dance warms the hearts of others with the swing of his Phantom of the Opera cape.

What rich blessings for any parent!

We are eternally grateful for Sunshine -- for the history that brought us together, for our joyful present, and for our boys' futures. Sunshine gives children and adults with developmental disabilities opportunities to thrive and to engage with others in a loving environment, and for that we are truly grateful. We happily share our story with you and ask that you make a thoughtful gift at this time of Thanksgiving so that Sunshine can continue its mission of supporting those in need by creating community for all.

Our warmest wishes,

Rusty & Elaine Bailey