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News, Updates & Opportunities
November 2023
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Over 350 guests attended the 2023 Gala of Dreams on October 14th. It was incredible to see so many people come out to support Birthday Dreams; we are thrilled to announce that the Gala was the most successful fundraising event we have ever had. Over $250,000 was raised, which puts us on target to meet our event fundraising goal, and post-event donations are still coming in! | | |
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We premiered two new videos at the Gala: the 2023 Birthday Dreams Organization Video and the 2023 Volunteer of the Year featuring Terah Rios. To view Gala photos, please visit the Birthday Dreams website.
We are already planning next year's event. Once we have our date selected for 2024, you will be the first to know!
Our sincere appreciation to everyone who attended and to all of our amazing sponsors (see end of newsletter) for their financial support! Because of YOU, our valued guests and supporters, we will be able to provide our services to over 1,500 homeless children in 2024. THANK YOU!
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Please consider donating items for Birthday Dreams during your Black Friday (Friday, November 24) and Cyber Monday (Monday, November 27) shopping sprees this year!
Our Amazon Wish List was just updated to include our current needs and wants. Please keep checking back too as we update it with deals going on throughout the month.
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#GivingTuesday is a movement to create an international day of charitable giving at the beginning of the Christmas and holiday season. This year it is on Tuesday, November 28th. Link for giving.
Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 as a day that encourages people to do good. Since then, it has grown into a year-round global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.
As an active participant in the GivingTuesday season of giving campaign, Birthday Dreams appreciates your support!
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Help Serve Our Community | Sign Up to be an Onsite Party Volunteer
In order to continue to offer group parties at local shelters, WE NEED YOUR HELP. Please consider signing up to volunteer at one or more of the below parties. Note: There is a minimum age requirement at some locations.
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Sunday, November 19 from 1pm - 3pm at Mary’s Place Burien. 12 volunteers (age 18+).
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Wednesday, November 29 from 6pm - 8pm at YWCA Passage Point in Maple Valley. 7 volunteers.
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Tuesday, December 5 from 6pm - 8pm at Mary’s Place Northshore in North Seattle. 8 volunteers.
Note: LIHI Meadowbrook View has temporarily switched to Birthday-in-a-Box as we look for a new Party Coordinator. Please email Dalia Silverstein if you’re interested in becoming a Party Coordinator for this location. Thank you to Regina Menssen and Shelley Helms of the National Charity League, Lake Washington Chapter for previously hosting onsite parties for us.
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The below feedback was provided by a parent who was able to give their child a birthday party to remember, thanks to Birthday Dreams. This is why, with your support, we continue to do what we do:
“I am homeless and I now stay at a shelter. I needed help because I couldn’t afford to make a party for my daughter’s birthday and wanted to see her day celebrated well and happy....the party meant everything to my baby. She loved the gifts and the colorful cake that was sent. [The party] makes a lot of difference to my daughter. It boosts her mood by feeling appreciated and loved and cared for. For me I get happy when my kids are happy...Thanks a lot.”
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Community Support and Recognition | |
REI Sumner Distribution Center Donation
In October, Danielle Anderson, Outreach Specialist for REI visited us at Birthday Dreams, bringing with her a $600 donation. Birthday Dreams was selected by REI Sumner Distribution Center employees to be a charity of choice this year!
Our thanks to the REI team in Sumner for their generosity!
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In-Kind Donations
Thank you to the following organizations who made generous in-kind donations last month:
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EXP donated over 50 gifts (including arts and crafts, stuffed animals, books, and Legos)
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Mass Electric #1 (Derek Rogers) donated over 100 items (including collectibles, gift cards, and party supplies)
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Mass Electric #2 (Beth Hinkle) donated over 60 items (including action figures, building blocks, and party supplies)
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Joni Nakagawa donated over 50 gifts (including books, games, science, and outdoors)
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Lyla Smith donated over 50 items (including party supplies, juice, and gifts for 2 sets of twins and other children), and the amount will be matched by her company
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Susan and Roger Atlas donated two large boxes of children’s books
Thank you to all the individuals who donated to our birthday children this past month as well!
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Each month Birthday Dreams receives grant awards from our terrific foundation partners. Without their support, we could not do what we do. Over the past month, we received grants from the below partners:
We are humbled by and incredibly thankful for our community partners!
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We have been so fortunate to have support from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust over these past three years. Their grant supplied the funding for our Development Director position, which has proven to be a greatly important position for Birthday Dreams. Thank you, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust! | | | |
Volunteer Spotlight | Carol Oshiro | |
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Carol Oshiro registered as a Birthday Dreams volunteer in September 2022 and signed up for her first gift donation the following month. Since then, she has donated over 50 items to our birthday children’s parties, including cupcakes/cakes for 29 children (some have been featured in past newsletters), complete sets of birthday gifts for 13 children, juice for six parties, and all the necessary party supplies for two parties. She has also donated monetarily to our Spring Fundraiser, Miles for Smiles, and to a friend's Facebook birthday fundraiser.
When asked about why she decided to start volunteering at Birthday Dreams she said:
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“I retired from the Kent School District after 20 years. I’ve always believed in volunteering and after retiring I had to find a new way to do that. My son’s girlfriend, Jill Slabey, was baking cakes for Birthday Dreams so I looked them up. I knew that I could help in some way. I started by buying gifts for a child. Next, I baked cupcakes for a dinosaur party. Then I got the courage to try a cake. I hadn’t baked a cake since my three children were young. I always made sure that they had a special birthday. I saw how important it was to them, so this lets me help other children now. I now try to buy gifts for one child, and bake between two to four cakes, a month.”
We are lucky to have Carol as a consistent volunteer every month.
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Awesome Cakes Delivered with Love | |
Five-year-old twin girls each got their own Unicorn cakes (one pictured above) made by Claris Winston. Gifts, which included two sets of Candid Cameras, Nat Geo Solar Night Lights, Paint Your Own Unicorns, Barbie Vehicles, and Digital Watches were donated by Lyla Smith and delivered by Jim Waugh. | |
A special six-year-old girl received this Frozen cake by Beatriz Gonzalez. In addition to the full-size Elsa doll that topped the cake, Sally Eastey provided gifts, including Frozen items (a large cosmetic set, mini body wash set, and underwear), and a Barbie and Barbie Jurassic World outfit. Jim Waugh made the delivery. | |
Karen Criddle made twin Sloth cakes (one pictured above) for nine-year-old fraternal twins. Lego Sets, Squishmallows, books, Squishies and a Nerf Football were among the gifts. Jacob Hearen made the special delivery. | |
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Batman Cake
by Felicia McDaneld
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Seahawks Cake
by Sandy Newbury
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Donut Cake
by Elieen and Tomio Wang
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Dinosaur Cake
by Cathy Footer
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Sports Cake
by Malina Wiesen
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Volunteer Orientation and Opportunities
If you are interested in becoming a Birthday Dreams volunteer, please sign up to attend a brief in-person orientation by emailing our Volunteer Coordinator, Tabitha Amoroso, at Tabitha@birthdaydreams.org.
Orientations are typically held the second Saturday and third Tuesday of each month and run around one hour. Below is a list of upcoming orientations:
- Saturday, November 11 at 11 AM
- Tuesday, November 21 at 6 PM
- Saturday, December 9 at 11 AM
- Tuesday, December 19 at 6 PM
Contact our Community Events Coordinator, Leah Battin, at Leah@birthdaydreams.org for team building and service project opportunities.
Cake bakers of all experience levels are needed! Contact Tabitha@Birthdaydreams.org for details.
Follow us on Facebook! Cake and delivery needs are posted weekly. A list of upcoming parties and party needs can be found here.
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Office and Party Supply Needs
We rely on our donors and volunteers to make birthday dreams come true. This month we are in particular need of the following items for our birthday children:
- Toddler Toys
- RC Cars
- Board Games for all ages, but teenagers specifically
- Books for all ages, especially teenagers and babies
- Sturdy paper or plastic plates
Did you know that you can use Amazon to setup 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:
- Juice (gallon jugs or boxes/pouches that are non-refrigerated)
- Large gift bags, clothing boxes and bows
- Gift Cards in $10-$25 denominations
- $10-$15 for food & beverage locations
- $25-$35 for retail locations
- Art Supplies
- Baby / Toddler Learning Toys
- Sports Balls (footballs, basketballs, and soccer balls)
- Amazon Fire Tablets
- Ink Pens
- Video Games (PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One)
- RC Cars
- Board Games for all ages, but teenagers specifically
- LOL Dolls
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Slime KitC
- Coloring Books for all genders
- Jewelry Making Kits
- Hello Kitty Items
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A big Birthday Dreams thank you to all of our new and renewing Birthday Club members this past month: | | |
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Alaska Airlines
Alexa Medhus
Alyson Hyman
Amanda Howell
Amanda Medhaug
Amber & Torin Bainter
Andrew Sharpe
Angel & Julisa Cordoba
Angelina Minion
Ann Verbeck
Anwesha Banerjee
Austin Hunter
Barbara Downs
Becca Piel
Becky Nickels
Benjamin and Sydney Tyree
Bhrett & Melissa Monroe
Black Cat Studios Design
Bill & Katie Morris
Cathy Sapiro
Chaz and Chris Spahn
Cherie & Josh Barokas
Chris McConnell
Chris & Rachel Hadden
Christi Ackerman
Christine Barnes
Christine & Michael Dotson
Christy Moreno
Cory & Danielle Carbary
Cyndi Sheldon
Cyndi and Alex Malesis
Dana Visser
Dean & Sheila Josephson
Dee Burris
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Donna Cronk
Dwayne & Scarlet Reinike
Encore
Hubbard Radio
Isaac & Melanie Barrett
Jadine Riley
Jeff Buccellato
Jeff & Lauren Morris
Jenn Bossom
Jennifer Yomoah
Jeremiah & Natalie Flocchini
Jeremy & Tamara Paul
Jerry & Sherry Schluter
Jessica Kirker
Jill and Paul Tyree
Joanna and Wayne Duran
John Min
Jon and Cindy Johnson
Jonathan and Yana Harris
Julie Lumpkin
Karen Wilkinson
Kathy Flores
Katie Trout
Kelly Berschauer
Ken and Karen Johnston
Kevin & Mia Anez
Kim Luu
Kristina Tomalesky
Kristoffer & Ilana Bergen
Lauren Gage
Leah and Mike Battin
Lee Spencer
Lindsay Hasz
Lindsay Stewart
Lisa Pevey
Lissa and Jeff Wax
Liz Nettles
Loya Brown
Lynne & William McField
Malina Wiesen
Maragaret Grubaugh
Marcia Austin
Mark and Vivian Blauman
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Mary Morales
Melinda Lawrence
Nick and Latisha Elli
Niki Weiss
Paul & Jennifer Warrick
Priya Priyadarshini
Rahul & Pradnya Jagtiani
Rick and Teri Katzer
Robert Louden
Robyn & John Fischer
Ronnie & Kaci Clariza
Roxana & Dragos Tanase
Scott & Aleana McMurray
Shannon Mitchell
Shara and Will Sauve
Sheila & Ryan Yokabina
Simon and Laura Miles
Sonia Siegel Vexler
Stephanie & Jordan Bulckaert
Suzanne Infantino
Swetha Chitturi
Tamar & Naaman Heyman
Taryn & Mike Hudgens
Terah Rios
Teresa Kuzmer
Tim & Denise Riefflin
Tsend-Ayush Bayanmunkh
Tuyet Hoang
Vanguard Charitable
Viktor Boykos
Vinod & Reena Nair
Wendy Kirchner
Windows of Hope Foundation
Zach & Jena Domingues
Garneau-Nicon Family Foundation
Google's Fund Amazing
Lighting The Sound Productions
Randall Morris Foundation
The Gottfried & Mary Fuchs
Foundation
The Janet Moore Fund
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A complete list of our 2023 Birthday Club Members can be found on our Birthday Club page. If you are not a current Birthday Club member and would like to join, please 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.
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