Birthdays. They come without fail each year, often an unwelcome reminder of sprouting grey hairs and wrinkles. Yet, you may recall as a child how you eagerly waited in anticipation, counting down the days on your calendar. This hopeful longing is also felt by many children who experience hardships, but they are forced to shift their priorities to align with the harsh realities their families face on a daily basis. Instead of wondering about which toys or coloured balloons their parents may buy, they are plagued with worries like… Will we have food today? Where will we sleep tonight? What happens tomorrow? The list goes on indefinitely. While there are many organizations working to alleviate poverty and homelessness, our club aims to bring a little brightness into the lives of these children. Founded at the University of Calgary in the fall of 2013, Birthday Wishes fundraises to organize group birthday celebrations for children and their families at local homeless shelters. We are currently working with Calgary-based Brenda’s House to deliver celebrations, but have worked with Inn from the Cold in the past. The inspiration to start the club arose from what was then a recently-founded local charity, Children’s Birthday Miracles. We have a shared mission to provide birthday celebrations to children living in homeless shelters and now frequently partner with them to organize celebrations. Some of our founding members directly worked with Children’s Birthday Miracles (CBM), and fortunately had knowledge and connections prior to launching our campus club. However, the majority of our members were recruited by word of mouth and at annual Clubs’ Week events… we all jumped in wholeheartedly, without knowing entirely what to expect. We believe in making a big impact with few resources. An average birthday celebration (for 20-30 children plus their families) costs less than $200 CAD to cover decorations, food and loot bags—CBM sometimes helps cover the cost of gifts. We typically have met or exceeded this amount in a one or two day fundraiser event like a photo booth, bake sale or bottle drive. The amount required is further reduced by acquiring in-kind donations from local businesses and through generous volunteers happily sharing their time as magicians, face-painters, princes and princesses. Additionally, funds can be used even more efficiently to sponsor celebrations abroad with partner organizations, as the cost for goods is much lower: about $50-100 CAD will cover a group birthday, including gifts. Bringing joy, however, comes with some important responsibilities. When working with children and vulnerable individuals, their privacy is highly important us. This is why we never share photos of the children on our displays or website, and typically only take photos with volunteers. Confidentiality is vital to protect the identities of the families staying at homeless shelters. We work directly with the shelters and establish and follow their protocols during celebrations to maintain safety. For similar reasons, we also limit the number of volunteers that can attend a birthday celebration. Understandably, amazing people are the cornerstone of our club! Our club could not be run without the hard work of all our members and volunteers, especially in contributing to organizing fundraising events. The very relatable and unifying mission of our club also means that we attract students from multiple disciplines, like Business, Arts, Engineering and Science. This is wonderful as we can share different perspectives and backgrounds to tackle problems collaboratively. For anyone looking to start a similar club: go for it! If your motivation comes from within, you will impart joy to these children, and enrich your own lives in the process. It is easy with good people at the helm and open communication: we maintain group chats to discuss progress and respond to problems in real-time. If the associated costs concern you, garner support from those around you! We have received a considerable amount of positive feedback on our aim from the university community and local businesses. The response in your community will likely be similar. Moreover, you are not limited to working with homeless shelters. There are many organization positively impacting the lives of children to whom you can reach out—for instance those assisting new immigrants to Canada. Think outside the box! Above all, disregard any notion you may have that initiatives like ours are unnecessary or superfluous. As soon as you enter the room, the dynamic and energy makes it readily apparent that the children we impact do not feel this way. More than presents, cake or any material object we could provide, we offer them an experience. We bring them an opportunity to make lasting memories. We give them time to relish in that special feeling of simply being a kid. If only for a day. Natalie D'Souza VP External Communications
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