For nearly a century, Sunny Glen Children’s Home in San Benito has been a safe place for children who have nowhere else to go. Children who’ve experienced abuse, neglect, or abandonment arrive carrying wounds that take real time and consistent care to heal. We haven’t done that work alone. From the very beginning, people who felt a genuine pull on their hearts stepped in alongside us and stayed.
If you’re looking for volunteering opportunities that connect you to something real, something that outlasts any single afternoon, we want you to know: there’s a place for you here. We believe God’s love is meant to move through people, and we’ve watched it happen, year after year, in the lives of children and the volunteers who choose to show up for them.
Over 90 Years of Answering a Call
Sunny Glen was founded in 1936, and we’ve never stopped. Over 25,000 children have found safety, stability, and love on our campus in the decades since. That number doesn’t come from a large endowment or a corporate structure. It comes from a community of people who decided that the most vulnerable children in the Rio Grande Valley deserved better.
Our Christian faith shapes everything we do here. We hold to one central conviction: every child is made by God and loved by God. That truth drives the way we care, the programs we build, and the relationships we invest in every day. Weekly church services and Bible studies are part of life on our campus because we believe spiritual healing runs just as deep as physical or emotional healing. For us, faith has always meant something practical. It looks like showing up, staying present, and choosing to love even when it’s hard.
The Children Who Come to Us
The children who arrive at Sunny Glen didn’t choose the circumstances that brought them here. Many have come from environments where the adults in their lives weren’t able to keep them safe. Some carry trauma that shows up in ways that are hard to predict and even harder to sit with. When a child first arrives, trust doesn’t come easily. Why would it? For many of them, trust has only led to disappointment. So we start small. We show up consistently. We stay calm. We smile even when the smile isn’t returned. That’s not a strategy. That’s love in practice.
To support that, we use a trauma-informed approach called Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), developed at Texas Christian University. It’s built around empowering children physically, connecting with them emotionally, and gently correcting fear-based behaviors. It works. But it requires people. Real people willing to stay in the room when things get hard. That’s what volunteers bring to this work.
Volunteering Opportunities That Meet You Where You Are
One of the most common things we hear from people who reach out is, “I don’t know what I’d be good at.” We love that honesty. The truth is, our volunteering opportunities are as varied as the people who ask. You might be a great tutor. You might be someone who’s good at organizing events or running recreational programs. Maybe you have administrative skills that help our team focus more energy on direct care. Or maybe you just have a few hours on a Saturday and want to spend them somewhere that matters. There’s a place for all of that here.
We don’t ask you to be perfect. We ask you to be present. Consistent presence is one of the most healing gifts a child who has been let down can receive. Showing up, week after week, tells a child something they may have never heard before: you matter to someone. To explore your options, visit our Get Involved page or reach out to our volunteer coordinator directly at amanda@sunnyglen.org.
What Mentoring Actually Looks Like
Mentoring sounds straightforward until you’re sitting across from a child who won’t make eye contact. A child who has been let down so many times they’ve stopped believing an adult will come back. That’s the honest reality, and we don’t want to gloss over it. But here’s what we’ve also seen: children change. Not all at once, and not on any schedule you can predict. When a mentor keeps showing up, when they stay curious and patient and present, something shifts. We’ve watched quiet, withdrawn children start to open up. We’ve seen kids who’d given up on school get excited about learning again.
That doesn’t happen because someone had the perfect words. It happens because someone chose to stay. If you’ve ever wondered whether you have anything to offer a child, we want to gently push back on that doubt. Showing up is enough to start.
Healing Takes Time and the Right Support
Healing from trauma rarely follows a straight line. That’s something we’ve learned over nine decades of ministry, and it’s why professional counseling is part of what we offer.
The Poenisch Counseling Center provides individual, family, couples, and group counseling to the children in our care and to uninsured and low-income members of our community in Cameron County. Sessions are provided at no cost or on a sliding scale based on income.
The center includes a dedicated play therapy room, because sometimes children communicate what they’re carrying long before they can find the words for it. If you’re a licensed counselor, a student completing clinical hours, or someone drawn to counseling-adjacent work, this may be where your skills find their most meaningful home.
Faith, Community, and the Love of God
Faith is woven into everything we do. We hold weekly church services and Bible studies on campus because we believe that children thrive when they know they are loved by God and held by a community. We don’t pressure anyone. We ask questions and sit with the hard ones too. We’ve found that the love of God, when it’s lived out through consistent, caring relationships, reaches places that nothing else can.
The children who’ve come through Sunny Glen over the decades have taught us as much as we’ve given them. One former resident said it simply: “They chose to love us. It showed. They wanted the best for us.” That’s the kind of community we’re trying to build. Groups like Sojourners Church of Christ have shown what this kind of sustained community presence looks like in practice.
When Giving Financially Is How You Serve
Not everyone can commit to regular time, and we respect that fully. If you’re in a season where giving looks more like a financial contribution than a weekly shift, your support makes everything else possible. Donations cover meals, clothing, education, and extracurricular programs that help our children discover who they are beyond their circumstances.
You can make a donation directly through our giving page. Whatever you’re able to donate, it goes toward a child who needs it.
An Invitation, Not Just an Opportunity
There’s something quiet and lasting that happens when ordinary people choose to love children who’ve been told they don’t matter. It doesn’t always look dramatic. More often, it looks like showing up on a Tuesday, listening without rushing, and coming back the following week.
The volunteering opportunities at Sunny Glen Children’s Home are an invitation to be part of that kind of steady, consistent love. We’ve been doing this work since 1936, and we still believe that every child who comes through our doors deserves a future full of possibility.
We’d love to hear from you if your heart is moved. Contact our team and let’s talk about what’s possible. There’s a child here who could use exactly what you have to give.
What kinds of volunteer roles are available?
We offer a wide range of roles including mentoring, tutoring, event support, recreational programming, and administrative assistance. We also have formal internship opportunities for students completing degree programs in social work, counseling, and related fields.
Do I need prior experience working with children?
No prior experience is required for most volunteer roles. We provide orientation and ongoing support. What matters most is reliability and a genuine heart for children.
How much time do I need to commit?
It depends on the role. Some positions ask for a consistent weekly commitment, while others are more flexible. We’ll work with you to find something that fits your life.
Are internships available for students?
Yes. Sunny Glen offers internships for students seeking experience or credit hours. We have openings for various degree programs. Visit our site for current postings.