Birthday Parties That Give Back

Start a new tradition with a charitable birthday bash

- Vanessa Infanzon

The anniversary of the birth of a child is a celebratory time. We gather friends and family to sing “Happy Birthday,” eat cake and play games. Then the long-awaited moment arrives, the birthday boy or girl opens the pile of birthday presents. Some families in Charlotte, however, are swapping birthday presents for a new tradition — birthday parties that give back with a service component included in the celebration.

Melina DeLeon’s invitation to her son’s second birthday party asked parents to bring a new or used book in lieu of a gift. Guests took DeLeon’s offer seriously and cleared their shelves. More than 100 books were donated to Promising Pages, a nonprofit organization that gives books to underserved children in Charlotte.

“It’s very important that we give back to the community, in general,” DeLeon, 34, says. “We want to instill that in our kids at a very young age. These types of birthday parties and volunteering will give them a sense of compassion for people.”

COMMUNITY BENEFITS

Organizations in Charlotte like Promising Pages benefit from these types of birthday celebrations. The Humane Society of Charlotte has been the recipient of fundraisers and supply drives. If they know a child is coming to drop off the donations, they try to make it a special experience with a photo, tour and a visit with a furry resident.

“They are kind and generous kids who are already thinking forward,” Emily Cook, The Human Society of Charlotte marketing and communications director, says. “I can only imagine being that young and being aware of community needs.”