Community Involvement

A critical component of our company’s success is a belief in the importance of community service. Not only does Sunlighten contribute as an organization to our community and to charitable events, but we also encourage our employees to invest time in volunteer work and community service – particularly in areas which enable healthy lifestyles.

American Heart Association
Cardiovascular disease is our nation's number one killer and claims one million lives each year. Sunlighten partners with the American Heart Association to help prevent this devastating disease. Contributions are made annually, including a portion of sales during February’s American Heart Month, auction donations for the Heart Ball, Go Red for Women Luncheon, AHA Food & Wine Festival and other critical fundraising events. Additionally, Connie and Aaron Zack, co-owners of Sunlighten, serve as Board Members on our local chapter.

Harvesters
Another community service initiative of Sunlighten is volunteering for Harvesters. A fundamental key to health that we often take for granted is the good fortune of having enough food to eat when our bodies need it. Hunger erodes the body and mind, wearing away at our community. Harvesters is one of our community’s responses to hunger and Sunlighten is proud to help in this endeavor. As Kansas City’s only food bank, Harvesters is a clearinghouse for the collection and distribution of food and related household products. As a part of Harvesters Volunteer Outreach Center (VOC), we help sort food and household items collected at food drives and donated by the food industry, helping prepare them for distribution to Harvesters’ agencies.

Donations
Sunlighten donates to the following organizations:
• The Salvation Army
• Starlight Theater
• Children’s Mercy Hospital
• Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
• Newhouse Battered Women’s Shelter
• Love Fund for Children
• The Chordoma Foundation
• Fort Leavenworth Military Family Member Scholarship Fund
• Women’s Intersport Network of Kansas City
• Greater KC Chamber of Commerce Top 10 of Tomorrow Scholarship Fund
• Arts and Recreation Foundation of Overland Park
Associate Contributions

Sunlighten associates offer their time and money to a myriad of non-profit organizations for the betterment of our community:
• Dream Factory of Kansas City
• Children International
• Pet Connection
• Save Darfu
• AIDS Walk
• Habitat for Humanity
• Toys for Tots
• Heart to Heart Internationally
• Big Brothers / Big Sisters
• Wayside Waifs Animal Shelter
• The Refuge Center for Youths
• St. Jude’s Hospital
• Susan G. Komen Foundation
• Children’s SPOT
• World Vision
• Kansas City Scottish Highland Games
• Operation Breakthrough

Corporate Boards
In addition to sitting on the board of the American Heart Association, Connie Zack also volunteers her time as a Board Member of the following local companies:
• Flourish Magazine
• Steven Douglas Associates
• Women’s Capital Connection