Brightening Birthdays

 

Volunteers of America-Greater New York is bringing the excitement and fun of birthdays and family celebrations to children through its Brightening Birthdays™ initiative. We hold birthday parties - complete with cake and presents - for children and families who have experienced homelessness. Those experiencing unstable housing issues so often miss out on the celebrations most American families experience together, especially birthdays, and Brightening Birthdays helps change that.

“Volunteers of America-Greater New York is very excited about Brightening Birthdays,” said Richard Motta, president & CEO. “Brightening Birthdays is guaranteed to bring smiles and fun for all involved. We are committed to helping families capture or recapture the happiness of being together in celebration, especially when times are tough.”
 
Volunteers of America works to prevent and end homelessness for thousands of individuals and families each year through a wide range of support services. Children, youth and families have been of special interest to Volunteers of America from its inception, and providing ways to stabilize and uplift each family in need is still a priority.
 
Members of the local community can help make these family celebrations a success by volunteering, donating supplies or making a financial contribution.

Help brighten a birthday today!

You can brighten the birthday of a child in many simple ways!
· Donate online

· Shop for party supplies from our Amazon Wishlist

· Create a "Birthday in a Box" at your office or with your friends and family, complete with all the items needed to throw a great party

· Sponsor a Brightening Birthdays party: underwrite the cost of presents, cake and pizza, bring party supplies (such as balloons) and volunteers at the party

· Drop off birthday party supplies or mail them to our office at 340 West 85th Street, New York, NY 10024

· Volunteer at a party

For information about upcoming parties, please click here.

Since the inaugural birthday party at Regent Family Residence, hundreds of children and their families have enjoyed parties where volunteers helped them celebrate with crafts, face-painting, presents, pizza, and beautiful desserts donated by  Gristedes and Magnolia Bakery. View our Brightening Birthdays Photo Gallery.

Corporate groups sponsoring parties include Deloitte, Merkley+Partners, Hunton & Williams LLP, Innovest Systems LLC, Heyman Associates, Technisource and Morgan Lewis.


Contact

For more information, please contact Colleen Magri at CMagri@voa-gny.org or (212) 496-4307.