United Way Power of Youth Council Delivers Birthday Cheer

United-Way-Power-of-Youth-Council-Delivers-Birthday-Cheer-01Recognizing not all families have the means to celebrate birthdays, high school students from the United Way of Porter County Power of Youth council made and delivered “Birthday Bags” to benefit the children of Walt's Place, a Hilltop Neighborhood House after-school program.

Birthday Bags were created as a service project at the Power of Youth holiday party in lieu of a gift exchange. The colorful gift bags included birthday cake mix, frosting, candles, a pan and a handmade card from the high school students.

Walt’s Place will be able to share these bags with families in need who utilize their childcare and food pantry.

Mackenna Schon, coordinator for the Power of Youth council, shared the thought behind this project. “Being able to celebrate a child’s birthday with a cake is a luxury that not all Porter County families have access to. With a project like these Birthday Bags, we were able to help 15 children celebrate their birthday. We know it means a lot to parents and guardians to be able to provide their children with this kind of experience.”

Power of Youth also sponsors the summer program for Walt's Place through their annual grant allocation, helping cover the costs for food, field trips, games, sports equipment and other items.