Sunshine for Humanity offers shelter, sobriety and second chances

At Sunshine For Humanity, a homeless shelter in Eagle River, founder and director Debra Johnson greets visitors to the organization’s freewill store with a cheerful, “Good morning! How are you guys doing?”

Johnson’s warm and welcoming personality has long served her in her life’s work. She spent 20 years spreading joy as a professional clown named Suzy Sunshine, participating in international mission trips before turning her focus to helping her local community.

Guided by her faith, she founded Sunshine For Humanity in 2008, first helping others individually before officially becoming a homeless shelter in 2017. On a fittingly sunny morning in early November — during National Homelessness Awareness Month — Johnson sat down to share the organization’s impact and plans for expansion.

Unique, compassionate approach

Sunshine for Humanity is unique, operating as both a homeless shelter and a sober living home. “We’ve always run the shelter as a sober living home. We’re different from any other shelter and we’re different from any other sober living home because we combine the two,” Johnson said.

The shelter can accommodate eight people and is open to anyone regardless of their history, with the exception of sex offenders. There’s no time limit on residents’ stays — a policy designed to prevent people from becoming homeless again immediately after leaving.

“Normal homeless shelters have time limits — sometimes you can only stay three months,” Johnson explained. “We’ve found that even if people are working, they still may not have affordable housing in three months. So if I were to kick them out, they’d still be homeless. To me, that doesn’t make sense. We’ve had people stay here for up to 13 months.”

Those struggling with addiction must be drug- and alcohol-free to enter and must maintain sobriety throughout their stay, including attending AA or NA meetings at least twice a week. Johnson also recognizes relapse as part of the recovery process.

Residents who use drugs or alcohol are asked to leave but are welcomed back once they’re sober again, allowing for a clean slate.

Running a tight ship

Johnson runs the shelter on a foundation of structure and accountability. Residents are required to find a job within seven days, complete daily chores, and follow a set schedule to build basic life skills.

“They have to be in bed from 10 o’clock at night until six in the morning, with no electronics,” Johnson said. “It’s teaching them that if you have a job the next day, you can’t be on your phone all night and expect to function well.”

Celebrations, however, are built into the culture. Pizza nights, taco parties, and the shelter’s “Kickass Awards” honor milestones from 24 hours to a year of sobriety.

Residents also learn budgeting, savings habits, and how to build a reliable support network. Weekly guest speakers share life skills and offer connections residents can rely on after leaving.

“People do well here because it’s structured,” Johnson said. “But when the real world throws curve balls, they need a safety net.”

Redefining success

Sunshine’s definition of success is broader than housing alone. “Of course we want them to have a place to live,” Johnson said. “But we also look at how long they’ve gone without using, whether they’re paying bills on time, and if they’re building friendships. Those things matter.”

Sunshine has seen former residents return — and unlike most shelters, which enforce a one-year wait — they allow people to come back at any time.

“Sometimes we fall down,” she said. “We’re compassionate about letting people come back when it’s appropriate. Every time they return, they’re learning something new.”

One former guest illustrates the shelter’s long-term impact. After losing a leg, he came to Wisconsin for a prosthetic he couldn’t access in Texas, secured disability benefits and housing, and found work as a truck driver. When he later lost his other leg, he again reached out to Sunshine For Humanity for help. He returned, received another prosthetic, and now serves as the shelter’s resident peer coach — even helping another resident catch a life-threatening leg issue.

Growth and support

The shelter recently remodeled its facility to create a more home-like environment for residents, adding a common gathering area and two new bathrooms. Johnson’s next goal is to open a separate women’s shelter.

Sunshine receives no federal or state funding, relying entirely on community donations and grants, and is staffed by unpaid volunteers.

Sara Towne, a longtime volunteer and peer coach whom Johnson calls her “No. 1,” first stayed at the shelter before becoming involved. “I like helping people,” she said. “I enjoy coming in and meeting new faces.”

The freewill store and pantry — already busy when it opened at 10 a.m. on Wednesday — offers household items and a small food pantry supported by donations from Trig’s and Kwik Trip. It’s open to anyone. “People can just come in. We don’t ask for any financial information — we don’t even ask their names,” Johnson said.

But, as is her nature, she has learned many of their names anyway. “We’re like a family here,” she said. “We take people in and nurture them, but we also get something back. We get friendships. Almost everybody who comes through here is broken. We’re just trying to put the broken pieces together. It’s all about love, compassion, and caring.”

For more information, visit sunshineforhumanity.com or call 715-477-2220.