Birthday Blessings will host its annual Birthday Bash Campaign March 25-27.
The 501(c)3 organization provides a variety of resources to foster children in 19 Missouri counties. In Central Missouri, they partner with the 18th Circuit Children’s Division, which includes Cooper and Pettis counties.
The organization strives to meet the emotional and physical needs of children in care. The organization provides new duffle bags and backpacks, birthday party supplies and gifts, baskets of household goods for teens transitioning to independent living, graduation gifts, and seasonal loneliest child care packages for kids with no family or social ties. They also assist with special needs such as bedding, clothing or items that aren’t covered by other funding sources.
Birthday Blessings does this by partnering with child advocacy organizations such as Children’s Divisions and Court Appointed Special Advocates. Staff at these organizations collect information about the needs of foster kids and send it to the nonprofit. Birthday Blessings uses these details to put together tailored services for the kids, which they deliver to the advocacy agencies. Staff at the agencies deliver the resources to the kids.
Executive Director Shannon VonAllmen, who started the organization in 2013, said they expect to serve a record number of kids in 2021 as the number of children entering the foster system is on the rise.
There are several ways to make a tax-deductible donation. Donations can be mailed to Birthday Blessings, 429 Aid Ave, West Plains, Mo. 65775. The website, www.birthday-blessings.org, has online payment options.
For more information, call VonAllmen at 417-372-5306.
