The Happy Birthday Project

To date over 10,000 birthday celebrations have been provided to children who likely would not have had their birthday acknowledged with a special celebration due to family living situations and financial barriers.  Our goal is to continue to provide a little magic & love to children who are referred to our organization by local social agencies, social workers and shelters.

Each month we create over 100 birthday bags for low income local/area children and children living in shelters. We work closely with over 50 social support agencies in order to ensure every family and child in-need can be celebrated on their special day. Every family we support through this program has a demonstrated financial need and are vetted through the agency that refers them to the program.
 
As we are volunteer-run and donation-driven, what we can provide is completely dependant on the donations we receive and the financial support provided through corporate donors and community supporters.

We thank the many volunteers, businesses and donors who have continued to support The Happy Birthday Project through donation drives, financial gifts, hand-crafted products, time & energy!  ♥

The Happy Birthday Project believes that every child deserves to feel special and celebrated on their birthday. We are a local volunteer-run, and donation-driven organization that provides a little birthday magic to children and mothers living in shelters, as well as kids living in low-income situations in Calgary, and surrounding communities. Our mission is to help families facing adversity have a simple but memorable birthday celebration for their children while easing the financial burden.
 
What makes our program special, is that each birthday bag is created specifically for each child based on what they are really wishing for!
Each child/parent fills out a detailed wish-list noting everything from their favorite colors, the kinds of books they like to read, their clothing size, what their interests are, any special themes they would enjoy, plus what kinds of gifts/toys they would love to receive. Our volunteers then get busy finding them the perfect gift, a special toy, an awesome book, a new outfit, as well as all of the decorations and party supplies needed to create a special birthday celebration. 
 
Each month we also host special group birthday parties for all the kids who are living in large local shelters. We provide balloons and decorations, cupcakes, juice, fruit & veggies trays, snacks and well as special gifts for each birthday child, and loot bags for all of the kid guests. We also create special birthday bags for the moms living in shelters, as we also want them to know that there are people that care about them and the journey they are facing. ♥
 

Our beginnings: The Happy Birthday Project was founded in the fall of 2012 by two stay-at-home moms who wanted to do something to help improve the lives of children living in their community. Being moms and having been children themselves at one time long ago, they knew the magic and excitement a birthday celebration can bring to the life of a child. In a society where extravagant, over the top birthday parties seem to be the norm, it is understandable to see how an upcoming birthday can result in feelings of disappointment and stress for families facing financial difficulties and other hardships. The project aims to alleviate this stress and bring the joy back to birthdays for children in need. In the first 3 years of The Happy Birthday Project, we delivered 737 birthdays!.... and now we are completing over 100 birthday bags every month for children living local shelters, low-income homes or those facing adverse circumstances.  ♥