About Sunshine History Organizational Information		30 Years of Services For over 30 years, Sunshine Social Welfare Foundation has been devoted to helping burn survivors and people with facial disfigurement by accompanying them through their physical and psychological recovery process, by creating opportunities for their social integration and interaction through employment and education, as well as by empowering them and building their self-confidence to live independent, fulfilling lives. The Foundation has constantly emphasized providing professional services for its clients, striving to reach out to those in need wherever they are, and using innovative approaches to address new issues. Furthermore, Sunshine Foundation has never hesitated to speak up for the rights of burn survivors and people with facial disfigurement. Here are some of the accomplishments of Sunshine Foundation over the past 30 years. Milestones 1981 Small enterprise owners, radio show hosts, nonprofit organization leaders, teachers, burn survivors, people with facial disfigurement and many others initiate the “Sunshine Benefit” to raise funds for the establishment of a foundation servicing burn survivors and people with facial disfigurement. Series of medical counseling sessions are held to find people afflicted with burn scars or facial disfigurement, and who might need further professional help. The Sunshine Education Foundation is officially established at the end of the year, and is registered with the Ministry of Education. 1983 “Sunshine Scholarships” and “Sunshine Professional Training Courses” are the first two services provided by the Foundation following its establishment and still continue to be major channels to reach out to our clients. Sunshine Foundation launches the slogan “Rinse, Undress, Soak, Cover, Go to hospital.” With only five Chinese characters, this easy to remember slogan summarizes the steps to take following a burn, and has been used in prevention efforts ever since. 1984 Sunshine Foundation initiates a movement to modify the statutes of the Social Welfare Law to include burn survivors and people with facial disfigurement among the recipients of social welfare benefits. After a series of public hearings and numerous visits to relevant government organizations, the modified regulations are finally adopted by the Legislative Yuan in 1989. 1985 With the help of medical professionals, Sunshine Foundation holds a medical counseling tour around the island to benefit burn survivors, traveling to the less-developed eastern part of Taiwan, as well as offshore islands. 1987 In a promotion activity called “Face the Sunshine, Face the World,” nine clients with burn scars or facial disfigurement and five volunteers of Sunshine Foundation cycle around the island during two weeks, holding seminars to discuss the prevention of burn accidents and teach correct first aid methods. 1988 “Sunshine Day Care Center” for children is established as the first subsidiary organization of Sunshine Foundation, marking our first effort in providing services in more specialized fields. 1989 Sunshine Foundation modifies its organizational structure and redefines its major goals as promoting social welfare and providing more diversified and specialized services for its clients. The Foundation registers with the Ministry of the Interior and becomes “Sunshine Social Welfare Foundation.” 1990 Following a huge explosion caused by a gas leak at Hung Kuang Industrial Company in Taichung City (central Taiwan) in April, Sunshine Foundation takes quick action to help rescue the survivors. Thanks to the generous donations from the public, the Foundation establishes the Sunshine Central Service Center in Taichung. 1991 Despite the neighbors’ initial protest and strong resistance, the Foundation establishes its first Rehabilitation Center. Seeking dialogue with the community, the Foundation progressively realizes its ideal of helping clients integrate into society. Now all of the service centers of Sunshine Foundation are located in busy commercial areas or populated neighborhoods to encourage greater interaction between our clients and the public. 1992 Pursuing its ideal of offering clients a chance to earn reasonable wages and build their self-esteem, the Foundation sets up the Sunshine Car Wash Center, Hoping station. This is Sunshine Foundation’s first sheltered workshop. 1994 Following new regulations requiring that the financial records of all nonprofit organizations be audited by qualified accountants, Sunshine Foundation hires the firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu to audit its financial and tax records. Since then, activity reports and audited financial reports have been made available to the public, the documents can be downloaded on the Foundation's website. 1995 The Sunshine Dormitory is created to provide short and long term lodging accommodations to clients living outside Taipei who need physical rehabilitation services. 1996 The Southern Service Center is established in Kaohsiung City. 1998 The social work department of the Sunshine Northern Service Center sets up a special team of professionals taking care of all aspects of vocational rehabilitation, providing professional training and employment information to help clients gain financial independence and self-esteem. 1999 The Southern Service Center sets up vocational services. Sunshine Foundation starts producing its own pressure garments, pressure masks and transparent masks, as well as researching and producing other assistive instruments. Sunshine Foundation and Amway form a partnership. In 2002, they launch the Hope Maker brand of products made by people with disabilities. 2000 In order to strengthen our service for patients suffering from hemangioma, a series of seminars is held around Taiwan to disseminate relevant medical knowledge and numerous activities are organized to help patients integrate into society. Sunshine Foundation opens another sheltered workshop, a store selling breakfast in Taipei City’s Kuting MRT station. The store operates for eight years, between 2000 and 2008. 2001 Sunshine Foundation expands its services to Hualian and Taitung by setting up the Eastern Service Center. The Sunshine Half-Way Home is created, combining the Sunshine Day Care Center and the Sunshine Dormitory. Vocational services for burn survivors and people with facial disfigurement are extended to the Central Taiwan area. The Ministry of Interior entrusts the Foundation with the creation of the Assistive Technology Resource Center for People with Facial Disfigurement. The Resource Center provides information on assistive device for people with facial disfigurement, the industry, the government, the academe, and the general public between 2001 and 2007. 2002 The Foundation introduces image enhancement services for burn survivors and people with facial disfigurement, such as remedial camouflage and corrective make-up, as well as fashion consultation, communication skills training, etc. The goal is to build the self-esteem and self-confidence of clients. 2003 After a public call for tender, the Foundation wins the 3-year operation rights for a gas station in Taipei City to employ people with physical and mental disabilities. In 2006, the operation rights are renewed for another three years. Sunshine Foundations operates the gas station for six years, between 2003 and 2008. 2004 The Foundation organizes the First International Conference on Psychological Research and Services for Burn Survivors and People with Facial Disfigurement. Following a string of burn accidents involving essential oil lamps and burners, the Foundation organizes a public meeting to demand better quality regulations for these products and proposes the “Safety Guidelines for Essential Oil Products.” The guidelines are adopted by the government in April 2005. Sunshine launches the Sunshine Online Resource Website, providing educational resources for the general public and for teachers to learn about fire safety and burn prevention. 2005 The Dream Maker project is launched, with the goal of empowering people with disabilities by encouraging participants to improve their skills through an education platform and by giving them incentives to save every month thanks to a matching funds system. The project is successfully completed in 2008. The Foundation organizes the first Sunshine Congress for Burn Survivors and People with Facial Disfigurement. The spirit of the event is “Sharing, Encouragement and Learning,” and the goal is to build peer-support among burn survivors and people with facial disfigurement. The two-day event brings together 150 burn survivors and people with facial disfigurement from all over Taiwan. The event is held annually around Taiwan. Sunshine Foundation takes part in the Asia NGO Awards organized by Citigroup and Resource Alliance. The Foundation is awarded with first prize at the country level, and second prize at the regional level. The Foundation launches the Initiating the Future project for young burn survivors and youths with facial disfigurement. The project aims to build their self-confidence and strengthen their life planning abilities. The project was successfully completed in 2008. 2006 Sunshine celebrates its 25th anniversary with a series of activities, culminating with a parade in Da-An Park in January 2007. The Foundation launches oral cancer services and prevention work. 2007 In November, Sunshine Foundation convenes a meeting of major representatives from the medical, NPO and academic fields involved in oral cancer prevention and care to discuss how to coordinate the efforts and interventions of various actors. The meeting results in the creation of an alliance and plans for an information platform. Sunshine Foundation publishes two books written by burn survivors and people with facial disfigurement. Kisses of the Angel is an illustrated children storybook based on the true story of a little boy with hemangioma. The story written by the little boy's mother teaches children about facial disfigurement and acceptance. Impressions of Happiness is a collection of stories written by burn survivors, people with facial disfigurement, their family members and the professionals who care for them. 2008 In May, Sunshine Foundation holds the Second International Conference on Psychosocial Research and Services for Burn Survivors and People with Facial Disfigurement. Close to 100 local and international participants attend the event, and guest speakers come from the UK, the US, Sweden and India. Sunshine Foundation is awarded first prize in the contest "Working together towards rights and social participation," organized as part of the 21st Rehabilitation International World Congress in Quebec City, Canada, from August 25 to 28, 2008. Sunshine Social Welfare Foundation is awarded the Best Philanthropic Media Award for the Sunshine Online website during the Second Digital Publication Awards held on October 22, 2008 by the Government Information Office (GIO) of the R.O.C. 2010 Sunshine expands its regional network by establishing the Yun-Chia Center to service people with facial disfigurement in the southern counties of Yunlin and Chiayi. Sunshine opens two new carwash centers, the Zhonghe and Guandu branches, to create more employment opportunities for people with disabilities.