The Birthday Joy Program helps kids in foster care, shelters and group homes celebrate their special day
The nonprofit, all-volunteer organization thinks of everything from cake mix and candles, to decorations and a special gift for each child’s birthday.
Mariah Gardner
The Birthday Joy Program helps children in foster care, shelters and group homes celebrate their birthdays. (Storyblocks)
The advertiser paid a fee to promote this sponsored article and may have influenced or authored the content. The views expressed in this article are those of the advertiser and do not necessarily reflect those of this site or affiliated companies.
Imagine not celebrating your birthday as a child. Perhaps your family could not afford a party and gifts despite their best intentions. Or maybe you did not have a family or support system to coordinate a celebration in your honor. For children in disadvantaged situations around Houston, this is their reality.
League City-based nonprofit The Birthday Joy Program recognized a need to celebrate children whose birthdays may be forgotten. Founded in 2016 by Nonie Fairchild and initially run out of her home with personal resources, the program quickly grew with community support. The organization serves children and families in Harris, Galveston and Brazoria counties.
The Birthday Joy Program
The Birthday Joy Program brings birthday cheer to children in need in three big ways.
Birthday Fixins Bags - these bags can include cake mix, candles, balloons, decorations, plates, napkins and a gift. Bags are put together with everything one would need to create a child’s birthday party with decorations and gifts appropriate for each child’s age. Bags are distributed to social workers and agencies like B.E.A.R. Be A Resource, which works with foster children. Low-income families may also request a birthday fixins bag for their child.
Shelter parties - The Birthday Joy Program hosts monthly birthday parties at shelters and group homes. Attendees celebrate all of the children with birthdays in that month. Parties for groups of between 75 to 120 children include food, cake, games, prizes and more. Each child celebrating a birthday that month also receives a gift in line with their interests as well as a personalized pillow.
Joy bags - The Birthday Joy Program partners with schools to supply children from low-income families with a gift bag on their birthday. Joy bags include a book, small toys and a Whataburger coupon to help brighten a child’s birthday.
How You Can Help
Volunteers make The Birthday Joy Program possible. You can sign up to volunteer as an individual or as a group.
Donations go a long way to support the nonprofit’s mission of making kids’ birthdays special. You can make a monetary donation or purchase items from The Birthday Joy Program’s Amazon Wish List. Items purchased through the wish list will ship directly to The Birthday Joy Program.