The Sunshine League children's home raised more than $27,000 in its December tag day but there is still a need for more community support, according to the charity's Executive Director.

Denise Carey, who has run the foster care programme for the past four years, was surprised by the community's generosity during tough economic times.

Ms Carey said: "We are unique in that we have young people from ages eight to 18. That is a long period of time that we have to give quality service to them. People understand that."

It costs approximately $40,000 a month to operate the facility including costs for providing 14 young people with 24 hour care and for having a minimum of one staff per six children at the facility at all times.

The organisation, which helps many children who have moved from home to home before coming to the Sunshine League, needs more volunteers to help with fund-raising, maintenance, such as painting and plumbing, and with the children's homework after school.

In the past many of these responsibilities have fallen on the shoulders of staff, who dedicate each day to making Sunshine League feel like a family environment.

Staff not only have study time with the children and help them with daily chores, they also have dinner with them every night and spend quality time doing things like painting their nails and doing their hair.

Ms Carey said: "All the staff have a special place in their hearts for these children. When the children are sick, staff are here to care for them. That's what makes the relationship for us so special, we care deeply for them."

According to Ms Carey, only one child made it on the honour role for academic achievement last year. And while there was an increase in children arriving at school they saw a decrease in the amount of children attending their classes.

But in the past few months, with help from some of the dedicated staff and volunteers, there have been some definite improvements.

"The children have started to recommit to education and have started to identify long-term professional goals," she said.

"Our number one responsibility when these children come into the home is to reclaim hope for themselves, which (when lost) is best evidenced by their poor grades and by their poor attitudes.

"They have experienced lots of stress as teenagers, not knowing where they were going to live or how they were going to live," she added.

Ms Carey is calling on companies to get involved with The Sunshine League this year and invited them to arrange a visit to the home, get to know the staff and invest their time with the children.

l Anyone interested in learning more about The Sunshine League can visit their website at www.sunshineleague.bm or call 292-4360.