10/09/2026
💙 Sometimes it’s so much more than just a birthday cake.
I want to share something with you today. ❤️
This summer, REC Haven had the opportunity to help a little girl celebrate her 11th birthday through our Birthday Bundles program.
Her family had been through a really difficult year. They were moving, trying to get settled into a new home, and doing their best to get the things they needed.
And in the middle of all of that, there was still a little girl who deserved to feel special on her birthday.
Afterward, her mom shared something with us that has stuck with me.
“She woke up and saw the decorations, it meant so much to see her smile after such a hard last year.”
That right there. ❤️
It wasn’t about throwing some huge, expensive birthday party.
It was about a mom getting to see her little girl smile.
A birthday cake. Decorations. A day where she got to feel celebrated.
Things that might seem small to some of us, but can mean the world to a family going through a difficult season.
Her mom also shared how much the Birthday Bundle helped while they were moving and trying to get settled.
THIS is why REC Haven exists.
Because even when life is hard, birthdays still come. Christmas still comes. Kids still grow out of their shoes. And parents are still trying to figure out how to make everything work.
A birthday cake isn’t going to fix everything a family is facing.
But sometimes it gives a parent one less thing to worry about.
Sometimes it gives a child a memory they’ll hold onto.
And sometimes, it reminds a family that they’re not alone.
Yesterday, we launched our $12 a Month Challenge.
We’re looking for just 50 people willing to commit to giving $12 a month to help REC Haven continue serving children and families right here in Indianapolis.
Our Birthday Bundles cost around $60 each.
That means just FIVE people giving $12 can help cover the average cost of a complete Birthday Bundle.
Imagine what we could do with 50 people giving consistently every month.
That’s $600 a month to help keep programs like this going, cover the everyday costs of operating our nonprofit, host free community events, and continue building the programs we’re so excited to bring to our community.
And I keep thinking about all the children we haven’t met yet.
The birthdays coming up.
The parents already worrying about how they’ll afford Christmas.
The families who just need someone to show up and remind them that somebody cares.
I don’t want us to have to turn families away simply because we don’t have the funding to keep going.
But we cannot do this alone.
So I’m asking again today.
Would you consider giving just $12 a month?
That’s $144 for an entire year.
For many of us, that’s a couple of coffees or one quick lunch each month. Something we might spend without even thinking twice.
But to a child or family going through a difficult season, that same money can be part of something so much bigger.
If you can only do $5, that helps too! If you’re able to give $24, that’s amazing. And one-time donations are always welcome.
I’m not asking anyone to give money they don’t have.
I’m asking those who can to consider giving a little each month so we can continue making moments like this possible.
Because somewhere in our community, there’s another little girl whose birthday is coming. And I’d love for us to be there for her, too. ❤️
💙 Will you be one of our first 50 monthly supporters?
https://linktr.ee/rechaveninc
Please share this post. Even if you can’t give right now, sharing could help us reach someone who can.
You never know who might see it and decide they want to be part of what we’re building.
We don’t need one person to do everything. We just need more people willing to do something.
Love Today, Strength Tomorrow. 💙💚💛
