Who We Are

Reverend Charles E. Smith and Carol P. Smith moved to Atlantic, Iowa in the early 1970’s with their daughter, Deborra and two sons, Chuck and Jeffrey. Rev. Smith became the Administrator of the Cass County Care Facility in 1974. He later privatized it forming Sunshine Homes, Inc. and rented the land and building from the county. This was a 45-bed facility that housed and cared for hundreds of the state of Iowa’s most vulnerable residents. Being a family-owned business, family was always very important to Rev. Chuck and Carol. Rev. Chuck and Carol knew that a business’s greatest asset was its employee’s and, on the holidays, they wanted their employee’s to be able to spend the holiday with their own families. Therefore, whenever possible, Rev. Chuck, Carol, Deb (and her daughter Traci) and Jeff would go work the facility so they could spend the holiday together and all the employees would have the day off to spend with their families. 

Seeing the need for a “stepping stone” placement for those residents who were trying to get back to living in their own house or apartment, Rev. Chuck and Carol developed and oversaw the construction of Park Place, as an expansion of Sunshine Homes, Inc. Park Place was built and opened in 1990 as a 15-bed facility with the prime directive of assisting residents in becoming independent once again. Rev. Chuck was the administrator until the late 1990’s when he had to semi retire due to health issues. Carol was the Secretary and Treasurer and remined active with the business until her passing in 2020. Rev. Chuck and Carol were eventually outbid with the renting of the Sunshine Homes, Inc. building and land which led to the management of that facility changing hands. However, ownership and control of Park Place always remained with the Smith’s and continued to operate as Sunshine Homes, Inc. dba Park Place RCF/PMI. In the late 1990’s Chuck developed throat cancer and asked Deb to take over for him. She was living out of town and in the middle of her graduate studies and not able to do this at that time. He then asked Jeff to take over and Jeff was in the middle of his undergraduate studies. Then Chuck was asked and he was able to come help out as he had already completed his undergraduate studies. Chuck, took over as acting administrator and ran Park Place alongside of Carol with Rev. Chuck as the head administrator. However, over the years, Deb, Jeff and Traci remained active in the business and worked for the facility and Park Place many years. Chuck remained as acting administrator until Rev. Chuck’s passing in 2016, at which time he became head and acting administrator. Chuck then retired January 1, 2020 and Jeff became acting administrator with Deb as the assistant administrator and Chuck as their consultant. Traci had rejoined the business full time as an administrative assistant in January 2019 and became secretary and treasurer in 2022, to carry on the legacy of her grandmother, Carol. Jeff also took after his father by expanding the business and opening a 4-bed habilitation home December 1, 2020 with the hopes of opening more. Jeff has recently retired as administrator and Traci was voted the administrator by the board. Traci then was voted as President and Treasurer, Chuck still remains as vice-president, Deb as secretary and Jeff as a sitting member with three other members.