Tag: children

Touching Lives…The Birthday Party Project

Published on by Tamara HoernerLeave a comment

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What they do:

“Bringing joy to homeless children through the magic of birthdays.” Once a month, this amazing organization teams up with homeless and transitional living facilities to throw birthday parties for the children with birthdays that month. The other children and the family  members also attend the festivities to help celebrate.

How it all started:

The Birthday Party Project was started in 2012 by Paige Chenault, former event planner.  When she was pregnant with her daughter, she picked up a magazine with a photo of a sad looking little homeless boy. As she sat dreaming of throwing birthday parties for her own daughter, she wondered if this little boy would ever feel special, celebrated.

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So, she decided to put her talents to work and throw birthday parties for homeless children and in January, 2012, the celebrations began. It started with just one party a month, and has grown to more than 20 per month, in multiple cities across the country.

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The short video below will give you a better idea as to how

The Birthday Party Project works:

The Birthday Party Project

Mission Statement:

“Our mission is to bring JOY to homeless children through the MAGIC of birthdays.

We believe that JOY changes lives, and a JOYful community can change the world.

With the help of our birthday enthusiasts (that’s you!) we host monthly birthday parties at homeless and transitional living facilities across the country. We celebrate all children (ages 1-22) that have a birthday that month, and we invite all children and family members staying at the agency to join us for the party.

Our one hour celebration is a chance for kids to dream big! Our parties are so much more than a celebration – they are a loud exclamation point that kids matter!”

How to contact The Birthday Party Project:

How you can help:

  • How to get involved: HERE
  • Donate: HERE
  • Amazon wishlist: HERE

Social Media

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I just love this idea. These children have such a difficult time with life. At such a young age, they are already dealing with being homeless, wondering when the next meal will come or where they will sleep. It’s wonderful that at least once a year, they are made to feel special, feel celebrated, feel JOYFUL.

Until next time…Namaste my friends.

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Touching Lives…The Confetti Foundation

Published on by Tamara HoernerLeave a comment

When I first started my blog, I did a daily inspiration post each evening. On occasion, part of that series included highlighting non-profit organizations making an impact around the world an touching the lives of those in need.  If you’re interested in reading some of my past “non-profit” posts, you can find them HERE and HERE. My page dedicated to  non-profit posts is a bit out dated, but it’ll get you started, should you be interested.

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Anyway, I haven’t done a non-profit article for a long time, so, since it’s my birthday this week (YEA!), I decided this was a perfect opportunity to kick off a new series called:

Touching Lives

This will be my new “non-profit” series, where I highlight different non-profit organizations from around the world. Each article will:

  • Highlight one non-profit
  • Give a short history of the founding
  • What the non-profit does
  • The mission statement
  • How you can help/volunteer/donate
  • Social media links

This month, I went in search of non-profits who help children in need celebrate their birthdays. I wasn’t disappointed! I found two that I wanted to highlight. I’ll highlight one today, and the other on Thursday. So, on with the show!

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What they do:

The Confetti Foundation puts together “birthday boxes”, which contain everything needed for parents to celebrate a birthday with their child, who is hospitalized during their birthday. Volunteers and employees at the foundation work with children’s hospitals around the country, sending the boxes where needed. The foundation also has “birthday fairies” and “birthday heroes” all around the country, that come to different hospitals to help throw the parties.

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How it all started:

The idea for The Confetti Foundation was sparked in 2010, when the best friend of the founder, Stephanie Frazier Grimm,  had a baby who was born 8 weeks premature. Stephanie watched as her best friend spent hours and hours every day in the neonatal intensive care unit. When one of the babies in the unit went home, there was excitement at the opportunity for that baby to finally have a birthday celebration. This got Stephanie thinking about what kids do when they have to celebrate birthdays in the hospital.

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After doing some research and asking questions, Stephanie discovered that the kids rarely had celebrations or parties of any kind. This sparked the idea for The Confetti Foundation, which was officially launched on January 1, 2014.

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The short video below will give you a better idea as to how

The Confetti Foundation works:

The Confetti Foundation

Mission Statement:

“THE MISSION OF THE CONFETTI FOUNDATION IS TO SUPPLY BIRTHDAY PARTIES TO CHILDREN WHO 
HAVE TO SPEND THEIR BIRTHDAY IN THE HOSPITAL.

 
The foundation was started with the hope that families will be able to shift their focus from their child’s sickness for just 30 minutes and celebrate. Although the party is not a cure, it will be a welcome distraction and a good reminder that every child deserves to be celebrated.

The Confetti Foundation is recognized by the state of Rhode Island as a tax deductible charitable organization, and is an approved 501(c)(3) non profit organization by the federal government.

Through the partnership of Children’s Hospitals in the United States, The Confetti Foundation hopes to be accepted into all Children’s Hospitals with the help of volunteers, aka birthday fairies and heroes”

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How to contact The Confetti Foundation:

How you can help:

  • Their “give” page: HERE
  • Online donations: HERE
  • Info on becoming a party fairy/hero: HERE
  • Amazon wish list: HERE

Social Media

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Isn’t it amazing how something as simple as a birthday party can bring so much joy into the life of a child? In these uncertain times, it’s more important than ever that we make everyday a special day for our children.

Until next time…Namaste my friends.

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