For many families facing food insecurity, celebrating a child’s birthday can be an added strain on an already tight budget. Members of Trinity Lutheran Church are working to change that with a new outreach effort aimed at making sure every child can have a birthday cake. 

The church recently assembled and donated 40 “birthday box kits” to the local food bank, providing families with the essentials needed to celebrate a child’s special day. 

Each kit includes a cake mix, frosting, candles, balloons, a birthday banner, plates and utensils, along with a 9-by-13-inch aluminum pan. The boxes also contain a can of clear soda, which can be used in place of eggs and oil when preparing the cake. Directions are included, and the items are wrapped together for easy distribution. 

Trish Johnson, outreach chairperson at Trinity Lutheran Church, said the idea grew out of a desire to meet a specific need not often addressed through traditional food donations. 

“We donate food all the time, as so many organizations do, but we wanted to do something specifically for children’s birthdays,” Johnson said. “Every child deserves to have a birthday, even if it’s just a small cake.” 

Church members spent the month of February collecting supplies, and volunteers helped put the kits together.  

The effort marked the first year of what organizers hope will become an annual tradition. February has now been designated by the church as “Birthday Box Kit Month,” with plans to expand the program in the future. 

Johnson said the church hopes to double the number of kits next year and is exploring ways to involve other organizations in supporting the food bank. 

“It would be really neat if we could get several other churches or organizations involved,” she said. “Each one could take on a category of donations and help meet different needs in the community.” 

Johnson, a retired special education teacher, said the project is especially meaningful given her experiences working with students who often lacked basic necessities. 

“For some kids, their families are focused on having enough food for the week,” she said. “A birthday cake isn’t always something they can manage. Being able to provide that means a lot.” 

The birthday kits have been delivered to the food bank, where they will be distributed to families throughout the year.