Bringing the Birthday Joy!

Kelsey describes what she did for her Organize an Activity in her own words:

For my Organize an Activity I decided to collect cake mixes, cans of frosting, and sprinkles to donate to a local food shelf. By doing this, more children are able to celebrate their birthdays with a homemade birthday cake! I was interested in donating food from the beginning, but then I thought of something more unique, donating items for making a cake! Especially at an early age, it is important to have a cake at any celebration, typically a birthday party. I figured it was important to realize that not every family can afford a birthday cake every year, so that is why I decided to collect these items in order for more families to have the opportunity of having a cake. Since I work with children everyday at Adventures Plus, I figured it would be a good idea to host the cake drive at my site, Franklin Elementary in Anoka. That way, I was able to explain to the kids the purpose of my project. The kids were super excited about helping me and bringing in cake mixes, frosting, and sprinkles. I loved seeing so many families donating various items throughout the week!

Here are Kelsey’s tips for YOU if you choose to organize something similar:

Start thinking about this project early on in the semester! It is helpful to start early because you don’t want to be in a rush to finish it at the end of the semester. Do not procrastinate on any part of the project because it would be a lot of work if you saved every part until the end.
If you are working by yourself, make sure you know your plan! I preferred to work by myself so that I didn’t have to rely on anyone else to get things done, but I did need to recognize all of the steps that are required of myself in the process of planning my activity.
Make sure to contact organizations at the beginning! This way, you know which organizations are available to maybe consider including in your project.
Take notes on everything you do! When it comes time to put all your information into your e-portfolio, it is helpful to have important information written down such as the log of hours, documentation, tips, and pictures you collected.
Let people know about your activity! You might be surprised how many people want to participate in it.
Take lots of pictures! It is helpful at the end of your project to have many pictures of your process from start to end.
If you are going to plan a cake drive, remember it is a good idea to request gluten-free and sugar-free mixes as well.