Pilot Program

Background

Cheerful Givers expanded to the state of Washington in late 2005. Since then, with the help of over 500 compassionate volunteers, 6100 deserving children in the Seattle area have received a toy-filled birthday gift bag on their birthday!

Coordinator

Briana Keller first heard about Cheerful Givers through a People magazine story about the organization’s founder. When she learned that Cheerful Givers only operated in Minnesota, she asked for permission to bring Cheerful Givers to the West coast. Today, she serves as the Puget Sound Coordinator for Cheerful Givers’ first expansion pilot project. “I believe children deserve to be recognized. Cheerful Givers provides an easy, fun, tangible way to make a huge difference,” she says. Briana can be reached by email or by phone at 206-618-5215.

Current News

• Our next Community Blitz will likely take place in February or March, 2011.
• State of Washington employees can give to Cheerful Givers Washington (#1478364) through the Combined Fund Drive. 

Teams

The most fun way to help ensure that all children in Puget Sound receive a birthday gift is to become a Cheerful Givers Team Leader and host your own birthday bag making party, called a Blitz.  You decide how many bags you want to make, purchase the toys and wrapping supplies, and gather up some friends to help you assemble the bags.  A variety of groups in Puget Sound have created Cheerful Givers teams and hosted Blitzes since November 2005.  Here are a few examples.

• Workplace Teams - UW Career Center, UW Counseling Center, UW Chemical Engineering, SupportMed
• Friend Teams – Husky Bags, Burhani Women, Afanadors, Girl Scout Troop 41828
• School Teams – Eastside Catholic High School, Skyline High School Key Club
• Church Teams – Faith Lutheran Church, Bellevue Christian Reformed Church

If you’re interested in becoming a Cheerful Givers Team Leader and hosting one or more events in the Seattle area, download instructions here or email Briana Keller.

Community Events

Another fun way to get involved is to donate an hour of time every few months to help fill hundreds of birthday bags at our large community blitzes.  Our next community event will likely take place in February or March, 2011…check back later for more details.  Below you’ll find details and photos from our past community events.

• Redmond (07/11/10) – Forty-two smiling faces made 800 birthday bags in just under an hour.  A big thanks to the Moyer Foundation for funding this event.
• Redmond (11/07/09) – A record-breaking 125 volunteers helped assemble 503 birthday bags to celebrate Cheerful Givers’ fourth birthday in Puget Sound.  
• Redmond (07/19/09) – 75 volunteers helped fill 504 birthday bags.
• Redmond (03/08/09) – 22 volunteers helped fill 600 birthday bags. 
• University of Washington (11/13/08) – Cheerful Givers was featured in the University of Washington Combined Fund Drive’s monthly Meet the Charities series.  Nearly 50 faculty and staff assembled 300 birthday bags in the HUB.
• Sammamish (10/11/2008) – Nearly 50 volunteers gathered at Sammamish Regional Library to make 300 birthday bags.
• Redmond (05/17/08) – Nearly 30 volunteers helped assemble 300 birthday bags.
• Redmond (01/12/08) – The Puget Sound Coordinator for Cheerful Givers celebrated her birthday by hosting Puget Sound’s first community birthday bag blitz.  She received $2366 in cash from 43 donors and toys from 9 additional people, which enabled 50 volunteers the opportunity to assemble 500 birthday bags. 

Press

• Redmond Reporter (11/20/09)
• Redmond Reporter (02/04/09)
• University of Washington’s University Week (11/13/08)
• Hopelink Reaching Out Newsletter (Summer 08)
• Redmond Reporter (01/16/08)
• Redmond Reporter (01/09/08)
• University of Washington’s University Week (04/12/07)

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Recipient Organizations

• Hopelink – Bellevue, Bothell, Redmond, Kirkland, and Shoreline
• Fish Food Banks – Tacoma
• Volunteers of America – Everett
• Healthcare for the Homeless – Tacoma
• Sharing Security – Woodinville
• Renewal Food Bank – Bellevue

Outreach

• UW Charity Fair (10/15/08)
• Eastlake High School Community Service Fair (9/08)
• Faith Lutheran Church Social Ministry of the Month (5/08)
• Eastside Volunteer Fair (5/3/08)
• Eastlake High School Community Service Fair (10/08/07)
• Eastside Volunteer Fair (04/21/07)
• Redmond Kiwanis Meeting (10/17/06)
• Eastside Volunteer Fair (04/20/06)

Learn More

• Subscribe to the Cheerful Givers Washington email list
• Sign up for the Cheerful Givers e-newsletter (see box to your right)
• Find more information about the organization