Teachers, here is a simple and low-cost activity you can do with your students which can have a big impact on surprising a child in need on their birthday:
The Northern Birthday Box Project is a group of volunteers who connect people living in remote and northern areas of Canada with sponsors to supply a fun birthday party for a child.
As of July 2019, over 6,000 boxes had been sent out via the Northern Birthday Box Project to help children celebrate their birthdays. The focus is on children aged 1-17, who live in these communities.
Often, the cost of living in northern communities is very costly. The goal is to raise awareness of food insecurity, cost of living, and other issues within the remote and northern areas of Canada.
Providing a birthday box brings joy to the child, and helps parents and guardians with the additional expenses surrounding birthdays.
Each child is matched with a sponsor who gets the name, age, and a few theme preferences of the birthday child. Boxes should include cake mix, icing, and a few birthday decorations.
The sponsor ships the box directly to the child’s family. All costs are covered by the sponsor, including shipping. Consider purchasing a prepaid box via Canada Post to save on shipping costs.
Completed birthday applications must be submitted at least 2 months before the child’s birthday in order to qualify for a box.
If you would like to participate with your students, and together collect for a birthday box:
- Visit and Like the Facebook page called The Northern Birthday Box Project Page
https://www.facebook.com/NorthernBirthdayBox/
- Send them a private message requesting to be matched with a child
Please keep in mind that this is run by volunteers. One of the women who runs this project is also a teacher in Northern Canada. A response is typically given within a couple of days.
All correspondences are done through this group to ensure the confidentiality of the children in question.
QPAT and Get Connected would love for you to share your Northern Birthday Box Project pictures and stories with us. contact Julie Montpetit at julie_montpetit@qpat-apeq.qc.ca
