Opening a birthday present can be exciting, but giving someone else the opportunity to open their own, can be even more special.
“I’m happy because it’s showing my love,” five-year old Gianna smiled as she packed a gift bag full of goods.
That’s the goal behind the Birthday Buddies Project.
In honor of Martin Luther King Junior’s birthday, the project, hosted by nonprofit Kids Impact Community, aims to help kids in the community celebrate their birthday.
“We’re building our birthday bags for kids in foster care in the Milwaukee area,” Maria Sartori, a project leader, explained.
“Kids in foster care, with everything going on, might not get the opportunity to celebrate a birthday. This is just an extra step to help them have a great birthday.”
According to data from Children’s Wisconsin, there are more than 2,000 children in foster care in Milwaukee County at any given time.
Kids like Gianna registered for the project, picked a theme, and packed a bag full of party supplies like cake mix, frosting, decorations, a gift, and a card. It will be delivered to a family or child in need.