News, Updates & Opportunities

February 2024

Miles for Smiles 5K Registration Open

Miles for Smiles 5K

Each Step You Take Will Help Make a Birthday Dream Come True

This two-week virtual fundraising event will take place May 17 through May 31. Our event registration page is now LIVE! Click here or scan the QR code below to register today.

Funds raised from this event directly support Birthday Dreams’ mission to bring hope, joy, and a sense of self-worth by providing homeless children with the gift of a birthday celebration. As a participant in Birthday Dreams’ Miles for Smiles 5K, you will be a part of raising the spirits of the homeless children we serve, and inspiring hope for a brighter future. All types of movement counts, rolling, biking, hiking, swimming, walking, and running.

This is Why We Do It

The feedback below was provided by a mother who, without Birthday Dreams, would not have been able to give her daughter a birthday. It is humbling and heartwarming to hear how the gift of a party can provide both joy and hope. This is why, with your support, we continue to do what we do. She wrote:

"I have been through what seems like 'h*ll and back' but I am still standing. I have made some poor choices in my life and lost my career but am focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. My daughter was not expecting anything at all [for her birthday] and she was super shocked and happy...It was all so perfect. I am very happy I found out about this program...It gave me hope that it doesn't matter where I start in life, it is where I finish...Thank you."

Community Support and Recognition

Fairwood Women’s Division | The Fairwood Golf and Country Club

Birthday Dreams would like to thank the amazing women of the Fairwood Women’s Division for selecting us as a recipient of a $2,715 charitable donation raised during their annual Holiday Party!

The Fairwood Women’s Division is a group within Fairwood Golf and Country Club that promotes the interest of golf while having fun, supporting local community causes, and creating lifelong friendships! Birthday Dreams is honored to have been selected for this amazing financial support!

St. Andrew Presbyterian Church

Last month, the Church invited our development director to their New Year luncheon to provide their community development committee with insight into what Birthday Dreams is all about; we were honored to be invited. Following the presentation, the committee donated $300 and a supply of birthday party bags! Our thanks and appreciation to St. Andrew Presbyterian Church for their support!

Other Donations

Thank you to the following organizations for their donations last month:

Vibe Apartments donated over 60 gifts. Items donated include Barbies, Mega Blok sets, board and card games, stuffed animals, Play-Doh sets, Fisher Price toys, Hot Wheels sets, Disney Princess toys, and assorted action figures.
Light of Life Church donated over 20 gifts and party supplies. Items donated include: Bluetooth speakers and headphones, helmets, My Little Pony toys, board games, building toys, napkins, tablecloths, and plates.

Thank you also to all the individuals who made donations, among them:

Sally Eastey donated over 225 items, valued at nearly $2,500! Items donated include trucks, blankets, clothing, string lights, art supplies, stationery sets, stuffed animals, cologne sets, fragrance sets, skincare sets, nail polish sets, body washes, Robo Alive toys, Squishmallows, tablets, and DIY art kits. Some of these items went to the six parties she signed up to donate gifts to.
Sonali Agarwal donated over 15 items. Items donated include earrings, books, board games, clothing, make-up products, a kid's Singer sewing machine, and various art project toys.
Kristi Dyes donated eight gifts. Items donated include Fashionista Barbie dolls, Make-Up Artist Barbie, Fashionista Ken doll, Ballerina Barbie, Doctor Barbie, and princess costume accessories.
Angela Pederzani donated 18 items, valued at over $175, including theater gift cards, Squishmallows, drawing pads, baby teething toys, and Fisher Price toddler toys.

Grants

Each month Birthday Dreams receives grant awards from our terrific foundation partners. Without their support, we could not do what we do. Last month, we received grants from the partners below. We are incredibly grateful for their generosity!

The KidStarter Project | $17,000
Fred and Gretel Biel Charitable Trust, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee | $2,500
Perkins Coie Foundation | $2,000

Kids Helping Kids | Wellington Elementary

Recently, the stellar student body council at Wellington Elementary School in Woodinville ran a toy and birthday supply drive for Birthday Dreams! They collected and donated over 250 items, worth over $2,800. Items collected ranged from toddler toys to wireless earbuds for teenagers and everything in between. Gift cards, wrapping paper, and office supplies were also donated.

The student body council who set up the drive were presented with Volunteer Appreciation Certificates to thank them for their hard work and dedication to helping their community.

Thank you, Wellington Elementary School for your generous donation!

Volunteer Spotlight | Cathy Footer

Like many others, Cathy Footer’s first engagement with Birthday Dreams started with a volunteer orientation, which she attended in October 2023. Since then, she has donated 26 cakes and cupcakes, juice for seven parties, supplies for three parties, and has helped with two on-site parties! What a rockstar! We love working with Cathy and seeing the incredible cakes she makes. Cathy’s husband, Milton Footer, has jokingly remarked that she’s turned their kitchen into a bakery! We couldn’t be more grateful for her contributions to our mission. When asked why she started to volunteer with us and what she loves about what we do, she responded:

“Volunteer work was #1 on my ‘Things to do when I retire’ list, so when the time came in June of 2023, I started my search. I was surfing the web to find a place to donate several crocheted hats & and scarves when the link to Birthday Dreams grabbed me by the heart and dragged me right in! There was no question that this was the place for me. I love baking and decorating cakes for the children fulfilling their flavor, theme, and color requests. I know how much joy it brought my grandkids over the years, so it fills my heart to know that I get to help make someone’s birthday celebration special. I also enjoy shopping for party supplies and have gotten a real kick out of the group on-site parties. The kids have so much fun. I admire the work that Birthday Dreams does to support the kids and families. The staff is so lovely to work with and I am so happy to be a part of their team of volunteers. Wait…is that cake I smell?!?”

Awesome Cakes Delivered with Love

A special boy celebrated his 2nd birthday with this Seahawks cake made by Glynda Steiner. The birthday boy also received a wooden toddler puzzle, a 50-piece puzzle, a Mickey Mouse stacker toy, a Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Puppy and a Little People Work Together Dump Truck. Everything was delivered by Mae McMullin.

How better to celebrate your 17th birthday than with a mind-blowingly realistic pizza cake, made by Suzanne Bratten, which even came in its own pizza box! Lyla Smith donated some of the birthday gifts which included a wireless speaker and earphones, a Bod Man body spray set, Work with What You Got by Zion Clark and Target and Chick-Fil-A gift cards. This party was picked up from our Renton office by the caseworker.

A nine-year-old girl received this beautiful mermaid cake made by Molly Boyd. The birthday girl also received gifts including a pink tumbler and sparkle backpack, a bracelet making kit, a nail polish set with 10 different colors, a 100-piece glow in the dark puzzle, unicorn string lights, and a Disney Frozen bath fizzie. Everything was picked up from our office by the families’ caseworker.

Minnie Mouse cupcakes by Eileen Wang

Minnie Mouse cake by Glynda Steiner

Minnie Mouse cake by Amy Bergstrom

Mermaid cake by Cathy Footer

Frozen cake by Rachel Gilmore

Soccer cake by Chris Wells

Get Involved

Volunteer Orientation and Opportunities

If you are interested in volunteering for Birthday Dreams or participating in community service projects / team building events, please email our Volunteer and Community Event Coordinator, Tabitha Amoroso. If you are a new volunteer, sign up to attend a brief in-person or virtual orientation by emailing Tabitha as well. In-person orientations are generally held on the 2nd Saturday and 3rd Tuesday of every month, and virtual orientations are generally held on the 1st Tuesday and 4th Saturday of every month. Below are the next four orientations.

Saturday, February 10 from 11 am - 12 pm (in-person)
Tuesday, February 20 from 6 pm - 7 pm (in-person)
Saturday, February 24 from 11 am - 12 pm (virtual)
Tuesday, March 5 from 6 pm - 7 pm (virtual)

Follow us on Facebook! Cake and delivery needs are posted weekly, in addition to other posts about what’s happening. A list of upcoming parties and party needs can be found here.

Onsite Party Volunteers Needed | Sign Up to Help

In order to continue hosting parties at the shelters, we need volunteers to attend these very fun birthday celebrations. Without volunteers, we will need to cancel these parties. If you can help volunteer, please sign up to assist. Before signing up, please make sure to read the descriptions and notes to see if there are any restrictions (i.e., age requirement).

Volunteers are currently needed at the following shelters for the next month:

Sunday, February 25 from 1pm – 3pm at Mary’s Place Burien in Burien; 6 volunteers (age 18+).
Wednesday, February 28 from 6pm – 8pm at YWCA Passage Point in Maple Valley; 4 volunteers.
Tuesday, March 5 from 6pm – 8pm at Mary’s Place Northshore in North Seattle; 6 volunteers (age 18+).

Please contact Tabitha Amoroso if you’re interested in becoming a Party Coordinator. We are currently looking for Party Coordinators for 2 locations.

Office and Party Supply Needs

We rely on our donors and volunteers to make birthday dreams come true. This month we need the following items for our birthday children:

Interactive learning toys 1 year and up
Hot wheels items
Health and Beauty items for teens (make up, spa kits, cologne, perfume, hair products etc)
Toddler toys and action figures (paw patrol, Cocomelon, Fisher Price little people)
Gift Cards to clothing and or experiences as well as food places
Juice and Banners

Did you know that you can use Amazon to set up automatic donations? Just select “Subscribe and Save” to make an automatic order monthly for Birthday Dreams and select the Birthday Dreams address when you check out! It’s an easy way to support our office needs and help Birthday Dreams in a big way. Check out the Amazon Wish List for more ideas.

We are always in need of:

Scotch tape
Expo pens (all colors)
Zip lock bags (all sizes)
Cake boxes (all sizes)
Card stock paper (all colors besides black and dark blue)
Permanent markers (sharpies large for bags)
White envelopes 4.5in/9.5in (peel and seal preferably)
Wrapping paper (no holidays)
Gift wrapping bows (all sizes and colors)

Birthday Club Corner

A big Birthday Dreams thank you to all of our new and renewing Birthday Club members this past month:

Cedar River Cellars LLC
Fairwood Women’s Division
Four Generals Brewing LLC
Jeff and Jessica Roach
St Andrew Presbyterian Church

A complete list of our 2023 Birthday Club Members can be found on our Birthday Club page. Our thanks to everyone who contributed in 2023. If you are not a current Birthday Club member, please consider joining us in 2024. Click here to donate.

We accept donations through VENMO. The QR code will take you directly to our page.

You can also donate by texting “birthdaydreams” to 366283.