Herricks Middle School is brightening the birthdays of children in need thanks to the collaborative kind hearts and generosity of many students, families and staff members. Recently, seventh-grade students gathered in the cafeteria after school to assemble packages for the Birthday Wishes volunteer organization.
Birthday Wishes provides birthday parties for homeless children in more than 200 homeless shelters and transitional living facilities on Long Island as well as areas outside of New York state. The group believes that all children, regardless of their living situation, should celebrate their birthdays joyfully, surrounded by family, friends and others who care.
The seventh-graders festively decorated boxes, which they filled with all the essentials for a birthday celebration to remember. The various small items such as plates, napkins, goodie bags, candles, streamers and balloons, as well as larger gifts, were donations from the students themselves, their families and staff members from around the school. Handmade cards were also included in each birthday wish.
“There are kids just like us who don’t get to celebrate their birthdays like we do, and they deserve to,” said student Stella Chu. “It shows us that we should be more grateful to be able to celebrate with our friends and not take it for granted.”
—Submitted by the Herricks
Public Schools
