Welcome to Sunday Friends!


What if you could give opportunities instead of handouts?  That’s what Sunday Friends – a non-religious, nonprofit organization – does through its programs for very low-income families.

Sunday Friends does this in a unique way.  It has created an integrated “learning economy” that offers families a “working alternative to charity”.  Children and their parents are provided opportunities to earn the things they need.  They do this with volunteers through a variety of collaborative, carefully crafted activities, such as making gifts for children in hospitals, preparing healthy meals, cleaning the grounds of the host facility and writing letters to the Sunday Friends community.  These giving-back activities, along with the earning opportunities and the skills training, have been shown to promote positive outlooks, healthy productive lifestyles and self-sufficient futures. 

 

Here’s How It Works

 

 
  • Each person earns tickets for helping others and helping themselves.

  • They spend the tickets to purchase basic necessities in the Sunday Friends Treasure Chest.

  • Or, they can save their tickets in the Sunday Friends Bank and earn interest for future purchases.
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    Sunday Friends’ approach of giving opportunities instead of handouts helps families break the poverty cycle.  Parents and their children are able to practice money management and practical life skills that they can apply in their schools, workplaces and homes throughout the week. This fosters developmental assets in children.  As program participants experience repeated positive outcomes for their efforts, they grow to understand that they have the power to take control of their lives and to make a difference in the lives of others. This realization has instilled the needed confidence in many Sunday Friends participants to make successful, life-changing decisions.




     

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