The Birthday Party Project is a nationwide non-profit that partners with homeless shelters and transitional living facilities across the country to host big, fun birthday pizza parties for the children living there. They work with 5 locations in New York City alone, celebrating with 120 children each month.

In their own words:

Every month we bring birthday JOY to the families at local shelters in your community. From art parties to petting zoos... from carnivals to dance parties...our parties bring new and special experiences to these children and let them know they’re worthy of celebration. They bring a sense of consistency and normalcy during a difficult time and show them their community cares. They allow kids to be kids!

The children we celebrate have all experienced varying levels of trauma. From being evicted, bounced around from shelter to shelter and/or witnessing domestic violence, giving them this carefree hour to JUST BE A KID is vital! Many of the children we meet have never blown out a candle or made a wish. We bring them experiences they might not otherwise have, including have a roomful of people sing to them! The stories we hear and the moments we witness are beyond special.

The pizza is being donated by local sponsors (yay!) so our $1,000 grant will help The Birthday Party Project buy presents for the kids, ensuring an even more awesome birthday for each and every one of them.

Would you like to volunteer at one of their upcoming birthday parties? You can find their NYC Party Calendar on their website where you can learn about how to get involved!