Sunflower Circle of Friends first began meeting and recruiting membership in February, 2004. In April, 2004, they incorporated as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit and elected their officers and Executive Board. The group’s initial 18 founding members has grown to include over 100 volunteers who participate in the group’s activities as a result of their deep belief in and commitment to Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center’s mission to promote the optimal health and well-being of children with special health care needs.

The Sunflower Circle has a full calendar of fundraising events each year to support the clients at Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center (CDTC). For example, CDTC sends 54 HIV positive children to a special sleep-away camp two hours west of Houston, Texas, “Camp Hope” every year. They must take their strictly regimented HIV medication consistently all year long and do well in school for them to be considered to be a camper. The members assist in the fundraising activities for the Adopt-A-Camper program and “adopt” children, going shopping for the children’s clothes and other necessities. The members are also present during the “fittings” to ensure that the clothes that have been purchased by the donors actually fit the children.

Members of the Sunflower Circle  are present at all CDTC events and often serve as hostesses. All proceeds from the Sunflower Circle of Friends fundraising activities are donated to CDTC for items such as medical equipment, medical supplies, medicines, or emergency assistance for CDTC clients. The Sunflower Circle  also spreads the news about all the programs offered and advocate to build community interest, participation and support.

The Sunflower Circle of Friends assists with the Center’s annual Back to School event. They not only contribute school supplies, backpacks and clothing, but, the day of the event, they set up the Center’s Multi-Purpose Room with all of the donated backpacks, pencils, notebooks, etc. and provide tickets to the CDTC clients and their parents so they can “shop” for their school supplies.

For Mother’s Day, the Sunflower Circle of Friends  collects donations and mails special Mother’s Day cards with pictures of clients and their mothers. Inside the card is a story about the client’s special relationship with his/her mother. The card also lets the recipient know that the donation was made in honor of the contributor’s mother.

The “Non-Event” Event is a yearly fundraiser designed to keep all costs low. The Sunflower Circle of Friends, with the help of a local photographer, Karin Martinez, who often donates her time to CDTC, designed the Non-Event “invitation.” Karin created a beautiful table setting complete with a framed picture of one of CDTC’s clients. It is a “non-event” because instead of attending a gala or fundraiser, people are asked to donate what it would have cost them to attend an event (e.g. the cost of a new dress or a babysitter).

One of the most significant, on-going projects of the Sunflower Circle  are the “Welcome Bags” that are assembled  at the group’s monthly lunch meeting. The majority of the clients served in CDTC’s clinics are low income and on Medicaid or have no insurance. The children’s parents often cannot afford to purchase basic medical products. The Sunflower Circle put together a “Welcome Bag” filled with items such as digital thermometers, wall outlet protectors, Motrin or Tylenol, band-aids, shampoo, etc., along with a special note from the Sunflower Circle of Friends to the family.

Recently, the clinic experienced a severe shortage of children’s Tylenol/Motrin and the Sunflower Circle was able to make an instant $500 donation for the purchase of this needed medicine.

The Sunflower Circle of Friends also host a yearly tea at the home of one of the members as a way to recruit new members.  They also have an Annual Member Luncheon and a Cookie Exchange during the holidays. During the Cookie Exchange, recipes are shared and, then, collected and published in a recipe book. At this time, the group collect and assemble “mother’s gifts” for the holidays.