Mission: To provide birthday cheer for children experiencing homelessness and families in-need.
Results: Since inception in February 2012, Beverly's Birthdays has grown to serve over 10,000 children and families through partnerships with more than 50 agencies in 5 counties surrounding Pittsburgh, PA.
Target demographics: Children experiencing homelessness and families in-need
Direct beneficiaries per year: In 2015 alone we provided birthday experiences for over 5,000 children and families through our five (5) programs
Geographic areas served: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Programs: Birthday Parties: We host a celebration at the agency for children who have a birthday during that month/season. The guests are the other children in the program and their families (if applicable). The celebrations are staffed by volunteers and the parties include food, dessert, games/entertainment, and treat bags. Our birthday celebrations represent more than just a party. We believe that birthdays are an opportunity to wish a child a happy and healthy new year, and therefore all of our birthday celebrations expose the children to some type of enriching learning experience.
Birthday Presents: All of the children we serve receive a birthday cheer bin on their birthday. This bin is filled with gender and age appropriate gifts, which we can customize. All of our bins include a new book and a new toothbrush/toothpaste. A bin contains $40-$50 worth of items. We believe these extra items help reinforce a "“happy, healthy year…filled with cheer."
Itty Bitty Birthday Cheer: This program provides birthday cheer bins (filled with essential newborn items) for newborn babies. We also partner with agencies to provide group baby showers. Help support this program by purchasing an item off of our baby shower registry.
Classroom Cheer: In many classrooms it is an ongoing tradition for the students to bring a treat to share with their classmates on their birthdays. Families facing financial hardship may not have the means to provide this special experience for their children to share with peers. We work with schools to provide treat bags for qualified children to distribute to their peers on their birthday. In collaboration with The Education Partnership, we also provide teachers in elementary and primary schools throughout the Greater Pittsburgh region with their own Classroom Cheer Kit. This kit contains everything a teacher would need to celebrate their student's birthdays. The kits are filled based on the teacher’s roster.
Birthday-in-a-Bag: Pre-assembled bags filled with all of the necessary items to host a small birthday celebration (cake mix, frosting, plates, cups, napkins, party hats, etc.) to our agency partners that they can then distribute to families in-need. Primarily this program services families who are clients of community food banks. Our largest partners in this program are The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, the Washington County Food Bank, and the Westmoreland County Food Bank.
I volunteered at Beverly's Birthdays two years ago with my work. Since that time, I tell everyone that I can about this wonderful organization. They bring birthday joy to children who, otherwise, might not experience the birthday joy we take for granted! Nothing but positive things to say about them!
Beverly's Birthdays is doing amazing work in our community. I know of no other program like it in our area. The smile you see on a child's face when they get to celebrate their special day is priceless.
Making children's day one party at a time. Can you imagine not ever having your own slice of birthday cake? Something so many of us take for granted... yet some children are almost teenagers or even adults before they were blessed with Beverlys to be able to give them that!
And they do so much more, for mothers, food banks.. this organization is one that is close to my heart because every birthday is worth celebrating
Beverly's Birthday brings light and joy to troubled, impoverished, and homeless children. The children that are so often forgotten by their families and/or society are celebrated on their birthday. If even for just a moment, they can forget all of their worries and just be a kid. That moment of joy that each child experiences is truly a gift.
This non-profit is worth investing in. Because they invest in our children and our future by showing the children that in the darkness there is light and hope for a better tommorrow.
When volunteering I got to see the smiles on all the kids faces and the joy of getting a party. I am so happy to have found this wonderful organization. Getting to see the good they do first hand has been a blessing to me. I am new but am looking forward to many more parties! So glad someone cared and started this beautiful birthday party organization.
My daughter and I have been volunteering for Beverly’s Birthdays for several months. Not only is the mission bringing joy to children with significant need throughout Pittsburgh, the charity is providing an important lens into what it is like for a child to grow up with less for the rest of us. This lesson has had a significant impact on my daughter, as well as many children in our community who have participated in fundraisers for this great group. To not be celebrated — no child should feel that. In addition to a great cause, this group is a class act. Welcoming, encouraging, collaborating, and creative — I volunteer a lot, and they are a pleasure to work with every time.
I honestly never even thought about children not having a birthday party until Megs started this amazing charity. Celebrating your birthday is something that is so normal for the rest of us that it's hard to imagine not doing it. The number of children this organization has helped is truly amazing! The volunteers work very hard to bring a little bit of fun and joy into these children's lives. I am in awe of exactly how many birthday parties they have but yet there are still more than could benefit from this charity.
Beverly's Birthdays continues to look for more children they can help. I love how they make sure kids have a treat to bring into school on their birthday. I can only imagine how embarrassing it would be for a child to not be able to share a treat with their classmates on their birthday. This organization makes sure these children don't have to worry about that and can focus on celebrating their special day.
You cannot measure just how valuable Beverly's Birthdays is to our community. As they continue to expand and work on touching more children's lives I can't wait to see what they do next!
