Birthday Celebrations
Ages 1-18
Every Child Matters, Every Birthday Counts
For children experiencing homelessness, birthdays often go unrecognized. At One Wish Project, we believe every child deserves the joy and dignity of being celebrated, regardless of their circumstances. We deliver highly personalized birthday celebrations to children and teens, ages 1–18 living in family shelters or foster care, designed to foster self-worth, inspire hope, and create lasting memories. These moments bring joy and relief to both children and their families and caregivers, allowing them to witness their child being seen, supported, and valued even in the midst of hardship and uncertainty.
Why Our Birthday Celebrations Matter: The Story of Jesus
In 2017, One Wish Project Founder Hannah Finn at just 14 years that year, delivered a birthday celebration to Jesus, who was turning 11. Jesus was living in a shelter with his father. While Hannah arrived full of excitement with his cake and presents, Jesus was quiet and withdrawn, often looking to his dad to answer her questions. At the time, Hannah thought Jesus was simply shy, not yet understanding the effects homelessness can have on a child.
Seven years passed, and Jesus often crossed Hannah’s mind. She wondered how he was doing and where life had taken him.
In May 2025, Hannah and her mother, One Wish Project Executive Director Claudia Mintz, attended an event celebrating all Massachusetts teens in foster care who had just graduated high school. To their surprise, Jesus was there and being honored for his own graduation.
Jesus’s father passed away after his 11th birthday and he was placed in the foster care. And while Jesus had stayed in Hannah’s thoughts all those years, she learned that she had stayed with him too.
Jesus shared that he remembered Hannah, his cake she made for him, and all the presents she gave him that day. Most of all, he remembered how that day made him feel. He told her it was his “best day” and sadly, the last birthday he would spend with his father.
Our birthday celebrations matter. For the most vulnerable children, like Jesus, a single moment of being seen and celebrated can stay with them for a lifetime.
Jesus, 11 years old
Jesus, 18 years old