When she was in the third grade, during a classroom discussion about hardships faced by foster children, Ava James learned that some kids in foster care don’t have the opportunity to fully celebrate their birthdays. On top of the other adversity that children in foster care tend to face, this particular fact struck James as deeply upsetting. “I thought, hey, that’s really sad,” she said. “It’s not okay.”
Then, she learned about the concept of a birthday box: a box filled with cake-making supplies, decorations, books, toys, and more, which can be given to children in foster care or other difficult situations in celebration of their birthday. James thought the idea was “really cool,” and that it could make a big impact on foster kids in her community.
Now 13 years old and preparing to enter the eighth grade, James is working on her own concept of a birthday box, called “Bundles of Birthdays” or “B.O.B.,” for short. James, who is a Girl Scout Cadette in Longmont Troop 77904, pitched B.O.B. as a Silver Award project last winter. A Silver Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can receive. To earn one, a Girl Scout must research an issue they care about, make a plan to address it, and then take action to improve their community…