Sunshine Roth

Making Sure that Those Who’ve Fought for Us are not Forgotten
Sunshine Roth had seen her own husband’s struggles with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after he returned home from Vietnam. It was because of this personal experience and understanding that she came to offer her service to The Silver Star Families of America (SSFOA); a national organization that reaches out to and recognizes ill and wounded veterans.
Sunshine first volunteered for SSFOA in February of 2008. Initially she joined solely to honor her husband. But she quickly became more deeply involved, joining committees and becoming the SSOA’s state representative in Illinois.
Sunshine collects donated gifts to give to veterans during the holiday season, and sends cards to those in VA Hospitals. She oversees the presentation of SOSA’s Silver Star Service Banners to veterans in her state, and strives to find as many veterans eligible for this honor as possible. She puts a tremendous amount of effort into this service; and her efforts have not gone unrecognized.
The local community has been moved and inspired by Sunshine’s dedication. They’ve donated gifts, blankets and their time to help Sunshine on her mission. The work she has done raised the awareness of veteran’s needs in her community. Soon citizens were “adopting” families with a ill or wounded veteran, and making certain that family had a holiday meal and gifts under the tree for their children. They also send prayer blankets to dying veterans.
That awareness level now extends to the community’s youth as well. Sunshine travels to elementary schools to talk to children about the importance of taking care of those who fight for us. She also established May 1st as her city’s Silver Star Service Banner Day.
Her extraordinary level of service, her ability to educate, motivate and inspire others, and her unyielding energy and passion to take care of those who serve our country – these are the things that make Sunshine Roth a Daily Point of Light award honoree.