Newcastle Rotary Club International is starting a Birthday Blessing Box program to help families who utilize Tri City Hope Center services with their child’s birthday. They ask for the public’s help through either donations or helping to build birthday boxes.
The idea for Birthday Blessing Boxes was started after Rotarian Past President Kriston Maker brought up the project as an idea for her birthday month. With the boxes in mind, Rotary Club began researching what it would take to get a program underway.
“We started researching and realized that food pantries consist of necessities,” said Rotarian Tamara Holland. “Unfortunately a birthday cake is not a necessity and many children do not have cakes on their birthdays.”
Holland said this is not by fault of the parent or caregiver, but that when a family is in survival mode, a birthday cake becomes an extra and not a necessity.
The Rotary Club is asking the public for help in their project. They will be collecting non-perishable items for the birthday blessing boxes, and after building the boxes, they will be donated to the Tri City Hope Center.
Time is running out to make donations, however, as collections are only being accepted through tomorrow (Friday). You can donate at these Newcastle locations: Community Bank of Oklahoma, 2245 N. Main Street; The First National Bank & Trust, 1308 N. Main Street; Impact Nutrition, 2160 N. Main Street, Suite D; Legacy Bank, 509 N.W. 32nd Street; Newcastle Tag Agency, 697 N. Main Street, Suite B; Pioneer Coop, 901 N. Main Street.
Holland said, “We will build the boxes at our next meeting at 6 p.m., August 4 at the Newcastle Storm Shelter.”
For anyone who wants to help Newcastle Rotarians build birthday boxes, you can show up at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, August 4 at the Storm Shelter, 851 N. Carr Drive.
They need items donated such as canned frosting, boxed cake mixes, and lemon lime soda. She said fun extras can include candles, balloons, birthday napkins, noise makers, and sprinkles.
