A Wish Comes True for Neediest Children - Local non-profit Provides Birthday Parties to Bostons Homeless Children

Birthday Wishes, Inc. provides birthday parties for children living in homeless shelters in the greater Boston area. Over 400 children in 22 shelters are being served annually by this grass-roots organization which is looking to expand its budget and services state- and nation-wide.

Waltham, MA (PRWEB) June 8, 2005 -- Three-year-old Alex was still beaming hours after his Spiderman" birthday party ended at a local homeless shelter. Celebrating with the other children in the shelter, Alex enjoyed cake, gifts, a spiderman pinata, games, and goody bags - all made possible by Birthday Wishes, Inc. - a local non-profit which provides birthday parties for children living in homeless shelters.

Founders Karen Yahara, Lisa Vasiloff, and Carol Zwanger began throwing parties for children in two homeless shelters in the fall of 2002. Since that time, their three-person volunteer organization has blossomed into a non-profit which serves 22 shelters in the greater Boston area, providing parties for over 400 homeless children annually and still growing. Over 300 volunteers help bring parties to these children, with donations of time, talents, and in-kind and monetary contributions. Birthday Wishes throws parties at each shelter once per month, for all the children whose birthdays fall in that month. A typical birthday party includes gifts for all the birthday children, a cake, games and craft activities run by volunteers, a piñata, goody bags, and a face-painter or magician when budget and schedule allow.

Most homeless shelters do not have the personnel or resources necessary to hold birthday parties for the children who stay there. And the parents (typically a single mother) is both economically and emotionally unable to organize the kind of party most children take for granted. For a child who does not have much in life, and who is living every day with the trauma of homelessness, these parties are a precious gift. They leave the children simply beaming with happiness" says Serena Klempin, the Childrens Services Coordinator at Sandras Lodge, one of the shelters served by Birthday Wishes. She also stresses how much the parties mean to mothers who would otherwise not be able to afford to throw a party for their children. It also empowers moms, who are consulted by Birthday Wishes about the type of party they would like for their child. Zoe Dodd, of the Portis House in Jamaica Plain agrees, Our parents really appreciate being able to connect with the Birthday Wishes party planner. They feel listened to and that they have had a part in giving something great to their child."

Birthday Wishes is funded by individual donors, grants, and fundraisers. Currently run on a volunteer basis by its three founders and one part-time paid staffer, Birthday Wishes hopes to raise the money it needs to hire a full-time staff to keep up with the growing demand for its services in Massachusetts. Birthday Wishes has also received requests from individuals in 15 states to help start Birthday Wishes branches outside of Massachusetts. Says co-founder Lisa Vasiloff, We wont be happy until every homeless child in Massachusetts is celebrating his or her birthday joyfully, surrounded by friends, family, and others who care. Then well think about a national organization".

For more information on Birthday Wishes, please visit the web site at www.birthdaywishes.org, or call 781-891-4767.

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