A Wish Comes True for Neediest Children - Local non-profit Provides Birthday Parties to Boston?s Homeless Children
Waltham, MA (ContentDesk) 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 pi?ata, 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 Children's Services Coordinator at Sandra's 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 won't be happy until every homeless child in Massachusetts is celebrating his or her birthday joyfully, surrounded by friends, family, and others who care. Then we'll 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..
Swanky Invitations Put the Fun Back Into Party Planning
Blue Moon Invitations, Inc., designers of trend setting invitations and couture stationery products, will introduce several new products at the 2005 National Stationery Show, May 15 - 18 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York.In addition to several new imprintable designs, available in box, bulk and through their personalized albums, Blue Moon will also be introducing several new scents to their Yummy! Scented Notes Collection, paired with lip-smacking lip balms in the same decadent flavors.Their Wardrobe Collection will also feature new designs based on couture fashion trends for the season.A new album, debuting at the show, will feature Blue Moon's trend setting design style in the form of personalized stationery."We're most excited about the latest album we will be debuting at the stationery show this year. The album will feature personalized stationery incorporating our most popular patterns with monograms and other unexpected design goodies," stated Blue Moon creative...
Swanky Invitations Put the Fun Back Into Party Planning
Birthday invitations > Swanky Invitations Put the Fun Back Into Party Planning
Child Party Planner - 9 Steps To A Successful Party
Why rush around at the last minute?By following the 9 steps we've outlined, your kid party planning experience will be lots of fun, you'll take the stress out of planning, make things easier on your pocket book and you'll have a successful party.Give Yourself Plenty Of TimeIf at all possible, start putting together your child party several months in advance. This will give you plenty of time to put everything together without having to run all over the place at the last minute until you're worn out, stressed out and find yourself saying "I'll be glad when this is over with."Your Party Date And TimeSince it may not be practical to hold your child's birthday party celebration on their actual birth date, you need to consider a few things before deciding on the date of their party.Make sure your party date won't conflict with any holidays or other events.Also consider the best time of the day for your party. After lunch will mean you won't have to serve food other than snacks, cake and ice...
Child Party Planner - 9 Steps To A Successful Party
Birthday invitations > Child Party Planner - 9 Steps To A Successful Party
Happy Birthday to You!
With so many choices, it's almost impossible not to find a great birthday gift basket for anyone. For her there are spa gift baskets, full of luxurious lotions and bubble bath. For him there are fishing gift baskets, baseball gift baskets, and even golf gift baskets.Birthday gift baskets are often full of goodies and treats and often contain a special centerpiece item such as a Teddy bear, picture frame, or lotions and soaps. Try to choose something that reflects the personality of the recipient. There are many themed gift baskets that may be more appropriate than a general purpose gift basket.For instance, don't exclude a coffee gift basket for someone that really enjoys coffee just because you don't see it listed as a birthday gift basket.
Children may appreciate a basket with a plush toy while an adult might prefer a gift basket with chocolate and a bottle of wine. A birthday gift basket is a good choice for coworkers or employees, family, and friends. They are available in...
Happy Birthday to You!
Birthday invitations > Happy Birthday to You!
Batman Birthday Party Ideas
For a memorable birthday party the guests and birthday child enjoy, plan a party that draws everyone into Batman's world. Make it believable. Turn the hall or main area into gotham city. Put a table in the center of the room and a large box guarded by 2 grown ups dressed in uniform. Arm them with water pistols.
Give each guest a disposable raincoat if possible. Or at least get them prepared to get wet during this birthday party. Advise them to bring spare clothes.Now get a grown up, preferably the birthday child's father, to dress as Batman in a Batman costume. Get another grown up, or a few grown ups to dress as the Batman villians. Set up the bat signal in the center of the room.Turn one of the rooms into the Batcave, make it look like the batcave in the Batman movies.
Close the door of that room, do not allow guests access to that room until the time is right.Let the guests mingle with one another and help themselves...
Batman Birthday Party Ideas
Birthday invitations > Batman Birthday Party Ideas
Creative Kid Birthday Cake Ideas
A Creative Dream Come TrueA hush falls over the room as you bring out your child's birthday cake.With its candles glowing, your cake masterpiece sits at its place of honor for all to admire as the room fills with the oohs and aahs of your envious party guests. Your creative birthday cake is wonderful and it fits your party theme perfectly.Your birthday child makes a wish and your guests join in singing the birthday song followed by cheers and applause. Then it's finally time to enjoy the taste of your delicious birthday cake creation.Now that's the kind of reaction you want for your child's birthday cake!Kid Birthday Cake IdeasLet your creative imagination run wild when you plan your child's birthday cake, because just about anything is possible. Here are just a few ideas.Princess Birthday CakeSkate CakeButterfly CakeLadybug CakeHot Dog and Fries CakeVolcano CakeBug Mountain CakeLego CakeMadeline's Hat CakePrincess Castle CakeGreen Eggs and Ham CakePanda CakeTreasure Chest CakeFirst...
Creative Kid Birthday Cake Ideas
Birthday invitations > Creative Kid Birthday Cake Ideas
It?s Cashmill Bingo?s Birthday and You?re the Guest of Honor
June 5, 2005 -- Cashmill Bingo (www.CashmillBingo.com), one of the internet's most popular pay-for-play bingo games marked the start of its 2nd Annual Birthday Extravaganza this month, celebrating its first full year online.
Visitors to the site can participate in site festivities which began on Wednesday June 1st, and continue to party down until July 4th."Although Cashmill Bingo doesn't turn 2 years old till June 27th we are starting our celebration on June 1st, so brace yourselves because you ?ain't seen nothin yet'," said Karen Bliss Marketing Manager.
"During the last week of June the party will explode with more specials and surprises.
We've got an awesome Birthday Layer Cake Jackpot of $3000 with a prize of $50 and a #2 EZ Jackpot of $300 with a prize of $30 to kick off the celebration."Among the many limited specials the site will be running during June will be higher minimum starting jackpot...
Birthday invitations > It?s Cashmill Bingo?s Birthday and You?re the Guest of Honor
Batman Birthday Party Ideas
For a memorable birthday party the guests and birthday child enjoy, plan a party that draws everyone into Batman's world. Make it believable. Turn the hall or main area into gotham city. Put a table in the center of the room and a large box guarded by 2 grown ups dressed in uniform. Arm them with water pistols.
Give each guest a disposable raincoat if possible. Or at least get them prepared to get wet during this birthday party. Advise them to bring spare clothes.Now get a grown up, preferably the birthday child's father, to dress as Batman in a Batman costume. Get another grown up, or a few grown ups to dress as the Batman villians. Set up the bat signal in the center of the room.Turn one of the rooms into the Batcave, make it look like the batcave in the Batman movies.
Close the door of that room, do not allow guests access to that room until the time is right.Let the guests mingle with one another and help themselves...
Batman Birthday Party Ideas
Birthday invitations > Batman Birthday Party Ideas