Birthday Blessings is gearing up for its third annual July Toy Drive to help them meet needs and spread cheer in the Missouri foster community. Locally, they provide services to about 175 kids in state custody through the 12th Circuit Children’s Division in Audrain, Montgomery and Warren counties.

The event is led by Jake Rigdon, a member of the nonprofit’s board of directors and staff member at the 18th Circuit Children’s Division in Sedalia. With more than a dozen years of experience working with kids in care, she sees firsthand how Birthday Blessings impacts kids in care and foster families.

“Let me paint a picture,” Rigdon said in a news release. “Imagine you are a foster parent, and a little one just came into your home. A million thoughts are going through your head. You must get to know this child and find out what their preferences are. That includes showing them around the house to help familiarize them with the new surroundings. They might need to be registered for school or schedule medical appointments. There is an endless list of things to do.

“In all the hurry and chaos, you forgot to ask when their birthday was. This is where Birthday Blessings comes in. The nonprofit contacts foster families to find out what that child would like for their birthday. We supply duffles and backpacks, cake supplies and gifts that our volunteer teams even beautifully wrapped. All the foster parents must do is bake the cake and have a party, allowing them to focus on getting the kid settled into a new home or facility.”

Shannon VonAllmen, executive director of Birthday Blessings, acknowledged the importance of recognizing a child’s birthday. She said many of their other programs were started based on input from Children’s Division staff, Court Appointed Special Advocates, and foster parents.

“In 2013, we started with birthdays,” VonAllmen said. “The immediate feedback was that kids were feeling seen and valued through our services. As time went on, we learned there were other needs that weren’t funded by the government. Over the years we added seasonal care packages, baskets of household goods for teens, bedding sets, baby care items for teens in care who become parents, graduation celebration bags, and even Easter baskets.”

“I often hear people say they want to help kids in care but can’t be foster parents. There are so many other ways to support foster kids, including through this toy drive,” said VonAllmen. “It’s as simple as picking up some gifts and dropping them in a collection box. We will get them to the kids.”

Currently, Birthday Blessings is most in need of gifts for teens. Suggested items are advanced Legos sets, sports balls, fishing equipment, LED string lights, wireless ear buds, gaming headsets, lotion or bath sets, make-up or nail polish sets, craft kits, and board games.
They also need gifts rated safe for toddlers. The most requested items include toys that light up or make noise, shape sorters, push toys, big Legos, vehicles, sippy cups, dolls and toddler dish sets.

The drive begins on July 1 and runs through July 31. A list of collection spots is posted on the website. Monetary donations can be made at www.birthday-blessings.org/donate. An Amazon wish list is posted on their website and Facebook page. Purchased items will be shipped directly to their building.

Items must be new and unopened, with no writing or organization advertisements on them. For more information call 417-204-4459 or email office@birthdayblessings.onmicrosoft.com.