Claudia & Michael Cuddyer

228 less fortunate children will have Happy Birthdays thanks to the great support of the Minnesota Twins Wives and players who filled birthday bags following their winning game on July 18th. Special thanks to Claudia and Michael Cuddyer for helping to organize this fun event. 

Watch for some great autographed Minnesota Twins items to be auctioned off  during our Social Summer Online Fundraiser throughout August. 

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…”

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!”

Thanks to donations from local businesses and the school’s own fundraising, more than 30 students were able to make 50 birthday bags, the third year in a row the Skyline High School Key Club in Washington has contributed to our cause.

And not content with their successes, the Clubbers are planning on reaching out to their peers at Eastlake High School to stage a bigger event in the near future.

Read article about them in today’s Sammamish Reporter.

GreatNonprofits

In partnership with GuideStar, Kiva, the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology, MADRE, Wider Opportunities for Women, Dress for Success, Women’s Media Center, Women’s News Network, and Women’s Philanthropy—Women’s Issues, this campaign is identifying the top-rated women’s nonprofits  

You can read what others have said about us and add your review  here.

It all started less than 10 years ago, with a local farmer and a 50-lb. sack of potatoes. One Sunday, the farmer approached his pastor after church services and asked if some folks in the congregation might be able to use the extra food. The pastor knew of some families in need, and soon more potatoes and other food began to be dropped off at the church. Recognizing both a need for food among families in the community as well as an organized way to distribute it, members of the congregation formed a Board of Directors, and the Cannon Falls Food Shelf (CFFS) was born.

While still housed in the basement of that same church, the CFFS encompasses the whole community, in those people who volunteer, those who contribute food and financial support, and those clients who use it to meet their food needs. The CFFS offers four (4) regularly scheduled food distributions each month. Clients may visit the food shelf once each month and select their food choices from a menu offering a variety of nutritious options, including healthy proteins and dairy. Each monthly visit provides the client with 5-7 days worth of food for their family size. Emergency food provisions are also stocked and readily available for those clients facing an immediate food crisis. In 2009, approximately 160 families used the food shelf each month, and over 114,000 pounds of food were distributed.

In 2009, the CFFS was pleased to add another item to our client menus, and that was the question Is there a child in your family celebrating a birthday this month? If the client checks Yes, a Cheerful Givers Birthday Bag is packaged with the food order. This meaningful gift allows children in all circumstances to be recognized and celebrated on their special day.  Parents are truly delighted and thankful for the Birthday Bags. The CFFS thanks Cheerful Givers for their support and partnership to make each birthday a special birthday!

Natalie Rumble wanted to do something for her 52nd birthday that allowed her to give back. “The level of generosity from my friends and family who participated was overwhelming and heart warming. It truly is more fun to give than to receive – one of the best birthday’s ever.”

Shannon Thompson, Cheerful Givers board member, said “My children have so much, and others don’t, so it seemed like a great way to celebrate my son’s 2-year birthday by asking my family to bring gifts to make gift bags for Cheerful Givers. Delivering the bags to the food shelf was the best part.  The volunteers were so excited about the beautiful gift bags and it was great knowing that people who needed something extra would be able to have them.”

Stacy Konoa, from Project KIDS, was looking for a way to get  kids involved in the community. “We were excited to know that our donations would stay in our community and decided to go for it!  It was easy to explain what we were doing and why it was important… all of our kids/participants know how great it is to get presents for a birthday.  I hesitated as to whether or not to do the project for fear of lack of donations but discovered that even though we may not be large in manpower, the hearts and generosity of those within our program is huge! Birthday bags are easy.  Costs are low, time is minimal and the very young and older can help. This was a huge success for us and we plan to do it again this summer.”

Melissa Wallraff chose to fill birthday bags because “it was a great way for my children to give something back. I can’t imagine a child not receiving a gift on their birthday. The best part was working together with my daughters and knowing that I would brighten someone’s day – who I didn’t even know.”

Yvonne Schneider began filling bags when her after-school child care group  decided to do a service-learning project.  Every year after that, she chose to ask her family to give supplies for Birthday Bags instead of a gift on her birthday. “I find that the joy created by making the bags far outweighs anything I would receive myself. I am grateful that Cheerful Givers has been a part of my life and that I have had the opportunity to help make someone’s day, especially a birthday, a little brighter.”

Barb Clothier said “The children got so excited about doing the project that they couldn’t wait to start and we finished in no time at all. It is a great mission that can bring all sorts of people together, of all age ranges, for a common good. Thanks to Cheerful Givers for their wonderful website of suggestions and ideas and informing others about this great mission.”

Ra’eesa Motala learned “that there are so many people in our community that need simple resources and we should not take the simple small things in life for granted. This is a great opportunity to help out with a great cause. The feeling of accomplishment and doing good is rewarding.”

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!