Grant Enables Students To Help Children Celebrate Birthdays

Fond childhood memories often include birthday parties when one child gets extra attention, presents and a cake. It’s a day that most children and their parents look forward to with excitement.

However, if a family is among the one in 10 in Anne Arundel County that experience food insecurity (according to www.feedingamerica.org), a parent’s priority is providing a meal; a party or a cake is a luxury that may not be affordable.

Recognizing this gap exists even among Arnold and Severna Park neighbors, a group of Magothy River Middle School National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) members applied for a grant to help children have the happiest birthdays possible and ease a stressful burden for their parents.

During NJHS meetings, students discussed nonprofit organizations they would like to support. This year, members chose to focus their efforts on helping children in need. After a brainstorming process, the idea of creating birthday boxes emerged as a meaningful way to make a difference.

“The birthday box project for children in need was chosen to remind young people that they matter and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect,” said Christine McCallister, Magothy River Middle’s NJHS sponsor. “Everyone involved hopes the initiative helps children feel valued and recognized on their special day.”

To execute the birthday box project, students developed a structured process for collecting and assembling items. Additionally, eighth-graders Alexa Canty, Elizabeth Edwards, Claire Pierpoint and Maggie Stauffer successfully secured an $800 grant from the Kindness Grows Here organization. The funding is used to purchase essential items.

Each birthday box includes simple but meaningful items, such as a homemade card, cake mix, icing and small gifts designed to bring joy and a sense of celebration. A can of soda is also included because it can be used as a replacement for oil, eggs or butter, as those simple ingredients can be a luxury for families.

“While modest, these gestures can have a powerful impact, boosting morale, self-worth and hope,” McCallister added. “The project also highlights the broader value of community service, encouraging kindness while reminding volunteers that giving back can be just as rewarding for those who give as for those who receive.”

The birthday boxes were delivered to the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Severna Park. Despite being open only eight hours per week, the pantry serves 40 to 50 households weekly with food, fresh fruits and vegetables, cleaning supplies, hygiene items and more.

Pantry manager Kathy Middel said the birthday boxes are welcome additions to the food shelves. In just a few weeks, pantry volunteers gave more than 30 boxes to appreciative neighbors.

“One mother proudly told us a story of her daughter earning an award and her desire to do something to recognize her hard work,” Middel shared. “We offered her a birthday box, and she was thrilled to be able to celebrate her child with something she would not have otherwise been able to afford.”

At Magothy River NJHS meetings, students assemble and donate the birthday boxes on a weekly basis. Participants create handmade cards and prepare gift bags during advisory periods, taking an active role in each step of the process. Students also assist with loading the donations for delivery, and many say they are proud to contribute to an effort that makes a meaningful difference in their community. The Magothy River community has also supplied gift wrap and gift bags.

Canty said this project is especially important to her because she can only recall two birthday parties in her childhood. “I know some parents do not have the luxury of spending a lot, if any, money on birthday parties, and it can definitely embarrass the parent,” she said. “Being able to provide the essentials for a child humbles me. This experience is something that makes us feel good to the core.”

Pierpoint said, “I believe (not being able to provide a birthday party) can make the parents feel like they aren’t doing enough for their children, even though they are. Parents work very hard to make sure their children have food and a warm place to sleep. (This project) means a lot because we get to be a part of helping their children have an amazing day and be celebrated.”

McCallister added that within Anne Arundel County Public Schools, middle school students are encouraged to develop empathy through Second Step, a social-emotional learning curriculum. The program covers key topics such as bullying prevention, friendship skills, problem-solving, emotion management, academic success, impulse control and personal safety, helping students build the values that guide service projects like this one.

There are 130 NJHS members working on this project. The team of empathetic and generous students expects to create between 150 and 200 birthday boxes before the end of the school year.