The Garden of Dreams: January 2016

Birthday Dreams - Gifting Homeless Children

Do you have any childhood memories of favorite birthday parties when decorations, cake and ice cream, gifts, and your friends or family made you feel special?

Countless little boys and girls have never experienced—or will never experience—a birthday party unless something changes in their lives. Not because their parents aren’t willing, but because they don’t have the means or place to provide it.

I recently learned about a local organization in the Seattle area that is doing what it can to make a difference. Birthday Dreams is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing joy to homeless children and foster care children living in group homes with the gift of a birthday party. To date, they’ve given over 3,600 parties.

Larger monthly parties are thrown in some shelters, but individual parties are also given, depending on the need and location.

There are a variety of ways to get involved:

Purchasing gifts and/or party supplies for a Birthday-in-a Box
Delivering Birthday Boxes (They contain gifts, cakes, and themed party supplies.)
Baking Cakes/Cupcakes (For a lot of children, it will be their first experience seeing their name on a cake.)
Monetary Donations (Funds can be donated for a gift, party supplies, cake, or an entire Birthday Box.)
Volunteering at an Onsite Group Party
Community Outreach
Join the Board of Directors
Join a Committee

Another way to contribute is by organizing a goody bag party for a group, such as your scout group, church group, etc. With all the birthday parties given, Birthday Dreams uses 400-600 goody bags each month. Groups are encouraged to collect or purchase items to fill the good bags—Birthday Dreams provides the bags and ribbons to tie them.

Volunteers are welcome to bring their own children (over the age of 7) to the parties. What a great way for them to learn that giving can be fun! People 16 years and older who volunteer at the onsite group parties at the shelters, bake cakes, and deliver Birthday Boxes are screened prior to being given an assignment.

If you live in the Seattle area, consider getting involved and making a child’s birthday something to remember. If you live elsewhere, you can still donate, and there might also be a similar organization in your own area—or you may think about starting something yourself, even if it’s on a smaller scale.

Sometimes, a dream is as simple as having a birthday party—just for you! We can make a difference in a child’s life.

To learn more, check out Birthday Dreams at this online site: https://birthdaydreams.org

And don’t forget to check out the video below. Thanks!

Dawn

Meme – Inspirational Quote on No Excuses

I hope you enjoy this week’s meme. You’re welcome to share it with friends and on your social media sites: Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, Instagram, and Pinterest.

To save it to your computer, right click your mouse (if you’re using one) and “save as.”

Missed Opportunities Needn’t Be Lost Opportunities

“The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago.

The second best time is now.” ~ Chinese Proverb

Have you ever said no to an opportunity or put something off, then later wondered “what if?”

Maybe you couldn’t say yes at the time because of circumstances—your health, responsibilities, finances, fears, or other people believing you couldn’t or shouldn’t.

But what’s stopping you now?

Sure, some things might be impossible to some degree. But what if you could open that door again? What if even getting a small taste of what you passed up could be better than not experiencing it all?

For example, it might not fit into someone’s current life to become a photo journalist and travel around the world, but taking classes and looking for ways to use photography within one’s family or community could be a realistic goal.

I recently met a woman who wanted to be a missionary nurse as a child. She became a nurse, but she never made it to the mission field. When she was around seventy years old, she got involved in helping refugees who had arrived in the United States, and she realized at that point in her life, she’d actually become both a nurse and a missionary.

Regret is a sad word. I’ve experienced some regrets in my life—things I said or did that I can’t take back—even some things out of my control. But I strive to live with as little regret as possible. I don’t want to live with a lot of “what ifs?” Do you?

Maybe it’s time to go plant a tree …

Are you living with any regrets or “what ifs” that could be changed?