Birthday Cakes
Birthday Cakes – When you deliver a cake and a card to a youth, it is a huge boost to their self-esteem. You are demonstrating to them that someone in the community knows and cares about them, and that you have confidence in their future. Sometimes the cakes we bring are the first that a youth has ever been given to celebrate their birthday with.
How it works –You will get an email the 3rd week of each month with the first name and age of all the youth with birthdays the following month. Click on the link provided in the email and add your name next to the name of the child which you would like to provide a cake for. Or, ignore the email if none of the dates are convenient for you.
EMAIL to get on the monthly list.
More about the cake
Needs to be large enough so that the birthday child can celebrate with their whole ‘cottage’ (living quarters); this could be up to 18 kids and 2 staff and must be commercially made.
Costco 1/2 Sheet Cakes are loved by the youth. You can email your order in advance with these details.
Be sure to remove any of your personal information before delivering to Echo Glen. Cakes often go directly to the youth. Please be sure the name of the birthday youth is easy to read/well marked though.
Please only cakes with NO peanut products. Many youth are allergic.
Deliver the cake to Echo Glen by 5PM the day of the birthday or one day prior.
Plates or napkins are O.K. but not expected or required (no candles).
No gifts please – children are the same everywhere – if one gets a gift & the other does not, they feel shorted & less loved.
Can include a card
Leave individual card envelop unsealed. Staff is required to check each card.
Include:
- Encouraging & inspirational poems, quotes, sayings or scriptures.
- Your first name (only) & any group you are with
Do not include:
- Metal or sharp embellishments like mini clothes pins, brads or anything a youth could use to cut a wrist or hurt themselves with
- Any contact info
- Anything remotely judgmental. (Best to even skip mentioning their incarceration & stick to positive words.) Most youth have very low self-esteem already.