Who We Are
My name is Leslie Lubell, and I think of myself as a pretty ordinary working mom of two young boys. I've always loved birthday celebrations - especially my own! - and have always dreamed of starting an organization that provides birthday parties for kids living in shelters. But life just always seemed to get in the way; I was always too busy with the kids or overwhelmed with work to take on anything else.
Then our lives began to change as the economy started to suffer, and things I'd always been able to provide for my family became a struggle. As my 3 and 5 year old's birthdays approached, I wasn't sure how we would pay for the birthday parties we had promised them, and I started feeling pretty sorry for myself. I was suddenly reminded of the dream I'd always had to share the joy of birthdays with deserving kids, and I realized how much I was taking for granted. Regardless of how bad things might get for us, we had a roof over our heads, food on our table, and good friends and family who would make any occasion a celebration just by being there. We had so much to be grateful for, and I knew there were so many children in our own community who wouldn't even have their birthdays acknowledged as their parents simply worried about where their next meal would come from. I knew that it was time to get started, and The Birthday Club began.
A birthday may not seem important when a family is in crisis, but remembering a birthday reminds a child that he or she is loved, important, noticed, and worthy of being honored. It lets them know that they deserve to be celebrated for who they are.
Genesis A New Life Shelter
The Birthday Club currently works with Genesis A New Life, a homeless shelter in downtown Atlanta for families with newborns and older children.
The Genesis Mission Statement:
"The mission of Genesis Shelter is to provide an environment that allows homeless newborns to grow and develop in a nurturing and healthy surrounding. Genesis enables homeless families to remain together and creates a participatory community in which parents have the opportunity to live with their children in privacy and with dignity. By empowering families to achieve greater self-sufficiency, Genesis Shelter recognizes individual family needs and provides the resources to meet those needs."
Genesis provides its' residents with the following services (many are mandatory, but some are optional):
Money Management, Life skills training, Nutrition education, Parenting education, Access to GED and on-site tutoring, Mentoring, Job search and readiness, Information and referral to community services, Housing search assistance, Legal clinics, Family planning, Health care, Child care, Individual and family counseling.
Please read more about the incredible work being done at Genesis at www.genesisanewlife.org
The Birthday Club is a 100% volunteer driven organization. We are governed by a small group of dedicated volunteers who handle the logistics of arranging each months' parties, but we rely on donations of goods and services (although we will also happily accept cash donations, too!) to make our parties happen. Please see the "How You Can Help" link to volunteer or donate.
Friends of the Birthday Club
The Birthday Club gives special thanks to local businesses who have donated their time or services to us. We encourage you to let these special Friends of the Birthday Club know that you heard about their businesses right here!
