Two year-olds through kindergarten age children who participate in the Sunday School program at Maple Grove Evangelical Free Church earned their own money by doing chores, sacrificing a trip to McDonalds and saving their allowance to purchase birthday gifts which filled 62 birthday bags.  One young girl even used her own birthday money.  Bre Pilon, who organized the event, said “The response is amazing even at such a young age.  Thank you for giving us this opportunity to teach our children to think beyond themselves…”

“The next time your family comes together for a day at the lake or a barbecue in the backyard, why not take an hour to discuss your estate and how your family can make an impact on the things that are most meaningful to all of you?”

To help you start the discussion, they provide some topics and questions to post to your “kitchen table philanthropists.”    Read full article.

Supporters and volunteers submitted reviews to earn this honor. Here are a few examples of what they said or you can read them all.

“I’ve seen the results of this organization in… Kids get to receive a gift on their birthday, which wouldn’t necessarily be a given without Cheerful Givers. Parents get to experience the joy of being able to provide a gift to their children. Volunteers of all ages get to learn that giving can be fun!”

“In my opinion, the biggest challenges facing this organization are… helping people understand that the emotions of a child are just as important as keeping them healthy and well fed.”

“If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could… give gifts to every kid in the US and make such a difference in their lives!”

The idea behind K.I.D.S. is simple. “One caring response to one child in the crisis of poverty with one donation of a new piece of clothing or shoes, a toy or book of their own or an educational product.  It’s about one gift, to one child at a time that builds hope, self-esteem and an opportunity to succeed.  Our local agency partner network, nearly a thousand agencies strong, represents a broad and diverse range of  organizations, all of which are dedicated to helping the lives of children in poverty and families at risk.”

We are so pleased to have been selected as one of their partners!

The Hilger Philanthropist Club held their fourth annual “Best of Hilger” Talent Show on March 11th. The show is held every year to raise money for the Chattanooga Cheerful Givers pilot program which serves the Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Northwest Georgia area. Last year’s theme for the show was New York City, this year’s was “Light and Color.” The stage was decorated with brightly colored panels, illuminated by colored lights, bearing resemblance to a Rubik’s cube.

This year, the show was conducted under new leadership. Virginia Rickard, 17, former club Vice President,  now President, who grabbed the reins to ensure that everything fell into place. Speaking about her first time running the show, Virginia says, “It was very different to be the head coordinator of the talent show. I didn’t expect there to be nearly as many details to take care of!”

“It’s probably Hilger’s favorite event! We’ve made it into a great annual tradition for a great cause, and I think that’s something to be proud of,” said James Burke, 17, club secretary.

“People were really excited about the show,” said Jack Varnell, 16, club member and MC for the night. Over the years, the show has continually seen an increase in attendance each year. “The whole venue was filled,” said Virginia. At the end of the night, the club raised over $800 from admission, raffle tickets, and concessions, which will be used specifically to propel their Cheerful Givers pilot program.

The fun began when students started filling birthday bags and adding a ribbon to each one.  They quickly became cheerful givers!

While the Swarm lost to the Orlando Titans in overtime, a group of kids from the Youth Box Lacrosse Team enjoyed showing their skills on the field at the Xcel Energy Center during half-time.

We were also pleased to have an information table to introduce Cheerful Givers to those attending the game.

We are most grateful for a wonderful donation of these amazing toys!

3rd, 4th and 5th graders at St. John the Baptist School in Savage, Minnesota took time on their spring break to learn about Cheerful Givers and to fill some birthday bags. In reflecting on their activity, they each wrote about one thing they learned. Anna, age 11, said “I learned there are 140,000 kids that don’t get birthday presents in Minnesota” and Emma, age 9, commented “That not everybody gets presents but everybody deserves one.”

After competing in a team-building activity called Birthday Bag Bingo, the kids demonstrated their artistic ability in a smiling coloring contest.

Each month there are thousands of kids whose birthdays pass without any recognition.  Our hope is that we can change that through people like you who are willing to make a commitment to provide a birthday gift bag for one, five or ten children each month.  Recurring donations occur automatically each month via PayPal. You decide when they stop. Each $10 donated provides a toy-filled birthday gift bag for one child on their special day.

Your commitment will ensure that economically disadvantaged families get to celebrate their children’s lives. Commit now!