One of my best birthdays was a party I had at the JCC. I spent that day with my friends swimming, playing basketball and deck hockey. After three hours of non-stop activity, we congregated in Room 301 to eat kosher pizza (remember Yacov’s?) and cake. Of course, presents!

I still remember it like it was yesterday.

When I first heard about Beverly’s Birthdays in Next Pittsburgh’s article, 5 People Making Pittsburgh a Happier Place, the idea struck me as instantly heart-warming. Beverly’s Birthdays is a local nonprofit that provides birthday celebrations for homeless children in the Pittsburgh region, many who have never had a birthday celebration before.

One in 30 children experience homelessness in America each year. That’s over 2.5 million children. — Beverly’s Birthdays Website

Keeping to the JCC’s 120 year anniversary theme, the JCC Membership team initiated a gift drive to reach 120 presents. The goal of our drive was not only to spread birthday cheer, but also to encourage collaboration amongst the staff. Many of us were reminded of how giving is so wonderful for the giver, too.

We are happy to share that we surpassed our goal and collected more than 200 birthday items — from cake mixes to party supplies, snacks and of course, toys. Last week, we were thrilled to be able to drop these off at Beverly’s Birthdays.