Campers Spread Birthday Joy in Charlestown, Raising $1,000 for Kids in Shelters

While many kids spent July thinking about popsicles and pool days, a group of campers from Campassion spent their summer thinking about something else entirely: how to make sure children experiencing homelessness feel remembered, celebrated, and loved on their birthdays.

As part of Birthday Wishes’ first-ever Joy in July campaign, the campers organized a donation drive outside Whole Foods in Charlestown. In over two hours, they collected more than $1,000 and hundreds of Partylicious Packs, all to support Birthday Wishes’ work delivering trauma-informed birthday celebrations to children and teens living in shelters and transitional housing.

The idea came out of Campassion’s service-focused curriculum, which helps young people explore empathy, leadership, and community engagement. But the follow-through—the flyers, the messaging, the tabling, the conversations—was all them.

“Our campers were not just volunteering. They were leading,” said Kathleen Chiong, Campassion’s Executive Director and a Board Member at Birthday Wishes. “They learned what it means to organize a campaign, engage the public, and support other children in a meaningful way.”

The funds and supplies collected will go directly toward Birthday Wishes’ Teen Birthdays-in-a Box. Designed for older teens, the Teen Birthday Box focuses on fun with friends and family and includes birthday decorations, small gifts like water bottles, jewelry, journals and games. The main gift is in the form of a gift card, which allows the birthday recipient to select their own gift... a powerful experience for an older teen experiencing homelessness.

Executive Director Denell Nuese was moved by the campers’ efforts. “It means so much to see kids helping other kids during their summer vacation.” she said. “There’s something so powerful about young people recognizing that everyone deserves to be celebrated. These campers gave their time, energy, and hearts to help bring joy to children they’ll never meet. That’s something truly inspiring.”

This kind of impact is exactly what Joy in July was created for. The campaign launched this year as a new way to rally communities during the summer months. The success of the Charlestown drive shows what can happen when young people are trusted to lead, and when a community shows up to support them.

If you would like to support Campassion campers efforts, please donate to: Team Campassion.