MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Birthdays are supposed to be about cake, candles and celebration. But for families struggling to make ends meet, a child’s birthday can sometimes force parents to choose between paying a bill and buying a present.
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Tiffany Yearty knows that feeling firsthand. Now, through her nonprofit Birthday Boxes for Good, she is helping other parents make sure their children have something to celebrate.
Each birthday box costs about $35 to put together and is funded through donations, community partners and, when necessary, Yearty’s own pocket.
Before Yearty became known to families as the “Birthday Box Lady,” she was a mother struggling financially and trying to provide for her own son.
“When I had my firstborn child in 2017, I lived in Central Florida and had to move back home because of finances,” Yearty said. “Christmas came around and I could not get him anything.”
Her parents stepped in to help that Christmas, but Yearty said she never forgot how it felt.
“For me as a parent, I’m like, this is my first born baby. I’m supposed to be able to celebrate him but I can’t,” she said. “The emotions are like guilt, you feel anger, you feel shame.”
Years later, Yearty joined a Facebook group for parents and began seeing requests from families who needed help. It reminded her of an idea she had during her own difficult time.
“I was a part of a parent group on Facebook, and that’s where I started seeing the request for help,” Yearty said. “And then I remembered in 2017 the idea I had. It’s time to focus. I really want this to happen. And years later, here we are.”
Birthday Boxes for Good creates curated birthday boxes for children and teenagers whose families are experiencing financial hardship.
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“It’s an entire birthday party in the box,” Yearty said.
The boxes include baking supplies, decorations and a gift, giving families what they need to put together a birthday celebration.
For Tiffany Cordero, a mother of nine with two birthdays this month, the boxes provide some much-needed help.
“I’ve been trying to make sure each one has a good birthday,” Cordero said. “And normally the last two, which is in December, ‘cause it’s got Christmas, it gets very, very hard.”
Cordero said the financial pressure can become overwhelming.
“I be trying not to cry, because it be overwhelming,” she said. “So it’s very cool that I got introduced to her, because at least I know each birthday they will have something. Even if it doesn’t come from me.”
For Yearty, helping parents like Cordero is personal.
“I wanted to be the person I needed when I was going through hard times and having to choose between paying a bill or getting a toy for my kid,” Yearty said.
“When I’m able to give to parents, I see a reflection of myself in them because I feel like I become the person I needed when I was in their shoes,” she added.
Birthday Boxes for Good currently serves families across Miami-Dade County through referrals from nonprofits, shelters and foster organizations.
The organization is accepting donations, including toys, birthday supplies and boxes. It is also looking for volunteers, whom Yearty calls the “Celebration Crew.” Students can earn volunteer hours by helping.
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Click here for information on how to get involved or to request a birthday box.
