Dear Friend,
I am asking you for your financial support in 2021 to help us continue to provide birthday joy to the homeless children we serve. A birthday party, though simple, has a powerful impact on a child, especially those living in traumatic situations. Chloe’s mom, a resident in a teen parent shelter, couldn’t afford to throw a birthday party and was thrilled to receive a Birthday-in-a-Box, allowing her to provide her daughter with a special celebration.
The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t stopped us from helping kids like Chloe celebrate their special day. In the past year, close to 4,000 children have celebrated with a Birthday-in-a-Box packed just for them based on their wish list. The simple joy of receiving a Birthday-in-a-Box filled with themed party supplies, cake mix, frosting, goody bags and birthday gifts helps foster healthy self-esteem and positive parental interaction.
It’s fair to say that no one has been untouched by the pandemic, but for the homeless families that we serve, the pandemic has made a challenging situation even more difficult. Children have been especially affected. Their depression and anxiety rates have doubled since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to an August article in JAMA Pediatrics, “As the pandemic stretched on, the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms have doubled, possibly because of the ongoing effect of social isolation, family financial stressors, missed milestones, and school disruptions.” Our program is designed to address this, bringing a sense of normalcy, excitement, and empowerment to homeless families during a stressful and uncertain time.
We need your financial support now more than ever to continue to bring the joy and magic of a birthday celebration to kids like Chloe during this challenging time. With many of our traditional fundraising efforts still on hold, we are asking you to please consider making a donation to Birthday Wishes this holiday season.
Please help us keep the candles lit.
