This organization is starting a new Birthday celebration program to provide an equal opportunity to low income families and children including seniors to be able to celebrate birthdays and life among family and friends. We launched our first Birthday program on Feb 10 2024 in Co-op residential building in Newmarket. We celebrated all children, youth, seniors whose Birthdays fall in Month of February. The program was a tremendous success with great attendance of over 70 people. We expect to have a lot more households attend each month. We include a large cake serving 80+ people, pizza slices, birthday balloons, chips and juice box for everyone. After the cake celebration, the participants engage in Arts and Crafts activities decorating seasonal items and crafts to celebrate and socialize with family and friends. The first program held this weekend helped a lot of children come together. We had seniors, disabled individuals, youth and adults in attendance. There were 8 people whose birthdays were celebrated with the cake and pizza party followed by Art activities and educational books for each youth aged 1-25.

These low income families do not have an opportunity to celebrate life and feel the happiness of a birthday cake and party celebration. This program is important to reduce harmful effects of poverty on mental health. The youth felt happy, satisfied and walked out with newly created crafts and books to get inspired in school and at workplace. This increase self confidence and self worth of the families. It is important to carry on this program once a month to celebrate all who are less fortunate and need happiness in their lives. We continue to raise funds for this awesome program and hopeful that your grant can support us.