MADISON, Wis. — When you’re a kid, birthdays can mean the world.

Yet, during challenging times, it can be financially hard for parents. 

Birthdays only come once a year, but the gift in the box that the nonprofit Box of Balloons provides will last a lifetime. 

Without a doubt, Friday is Emily Kienitz’s favorite day of the week. 

“I love picking up the birthday boxes and seeing how they are decorated on the front, seeing the kid’s name on them,” Kienitz said. 

Kienitz works at Rise. She is one of many social workers in Dane County that helps get birthday boxes out to families who need them. 

Jennifer Javornik and her daughters lead the Madison East chapter of Box of Balloons. It’s all volunteer-run. 

“We never meet the children or the families, the social workers fill out all the information online and we make sure they are ready at 8 a.m.,” Javornik said. “When the social workers come to pick them up.”

Each box is custom-made for the child.

“So it just gets me excited. As soon as that request comes in, I’m thinking about these kids all the time,” Javornik said. “Especially when I’m out and about and I see little things here and there that I think would be great for their birthday.”

Even though Javornik and the other volunteers may never meet the kids, knowing they are helping provide a happy birthday is all they need. 

“A lot of people are going through some really hard stuff with the pandemic,” she said. “This is something I can do to help people in our community.”

Within the past few months, Kienitz has picked up close to a dozen birthday boxes.

“For me, it is the most exciting,” she said. “I get so much joy passing this box that they made to the family, this program doing […] is very special.”

Because if anyone knows what these birthday boxes mean to the family, it’s her.