Birthdays are like no other holiday. They celebrate a single person and the anniversary of when they came into being. For a child who has been abused or neglected, celebrating their birthday is essential to their healing.
Birthdays have always been a big deal at Hephzibah Home, but in 2007 the celebrations got kicked up a notch when Amy and Jim Laurenzo founded Danny’s Birthday Closet to honor their son who died too soon.
Each month for the past 15 years, a staff member sits down with every child prior to their birthday to assist the child in writing down their birthday wishes. The lists are then shared with Amy Laurenzo. With funds donated to Danny’s Birthday Closet, Amy purchases all the gifts from the lists, wraps them and delivers them to the Home. On the birthday of each resident, the birthday closet is opened, and it is revealed that their birthday wishes have come true.
In addition to their special gifts, each child gets party supplies in their favorite color or character, plus they choose their birthday cake to share with all the children at the home.
“Danny’s Birthday Closet is awesome,” shared one resident. “I loved all my presents.”
To date Danny’s Birthday Closet has provided the celebration of approximately 750 birthdays.
Above: Recent birthday fun at Hephzibah Home.
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