Birthday Blessings’ annual Birthday Bash donor match event to run Friday through Tuesday

HANNIBAL, Mo. — Birthday Blessings, a nonprofit organization focusing on providing needed resources to kids in care, will hold its annual Birthday Bash donor match event from Friday, March 28 through Tuesday, April 1.

An anonymous business will match up to $5,000 in donations during this event.  

In a press release, Shannon VonAllmen, executive director of the 501(c)(3) organization, said, “Our Birthday Bash is a huge opportunity for people to double their impact in the lives of at-risk children.The cost of operations is increasing, and grant funding opportunities are decreasing. This event will help us continue to meet needs in the foster community.”  

Birthday Blessings filled 247 requests from Marion, Monroe and Ralls counties foster kids in 2024 and filled more than 2,200 requests from kids in 30 Missouri counties. This included birthday party bags with gifts targeting physical and emotional needs, care packages for struggling teens, bedding sets, household goods, baby care items, graduation celebration bags and Easter baskets.   

“Kids in care aren’t used to people doing special things for them,” VonAllmen said. “Many have never owned new items or received a gift of any kind. When we send new bedding to promote healthy sleep, we are also letting children know we value their existence. When we send a birthday party bag with supplies to bake a cake, we are letting kids know we celebrate them. Our donors become part of that support team.”  

Birthday Blessings is supported in part by the United Way of the Mark Twain Area, General Mills and the Samantha Otte Youth Opportunity Fund.  

To take advantage of this event, online donations can be made at birthday-blessings.org. Checks can be mailed to Birthday Blessings, 429 Aid Avenue, West Plains, Missouri, 65775. 

For more information about this campaign or how to support foster children year-round, contact VonAllmen at 417-372-5306.