The Birthday Box

My birthday is still a couple of weeks away, but because I leave for my internship in DC this Friday, we kicked off the festivities a little early. This past Saturday, our home was filled with family and friends to celebrate not only my upcoming birthday, but also the birthday of our canine kid, Otis. The strawberry-lemon (vegan!) cake had both our names on it – one side decorated with little dog bones, and the other with daisies.

We decided to make the event a veg potluck to keep it simple…. easy preparation and easy cleanup.  As it is, I have about a hundred things on my “to do” list  for this week. (In fact, rather than writing this morning, I should be planning and packing!)  With some Coltrane on the stereo and some candles lit, it was a casual summer evening, with people moving between the house and the patio and yard. It’s interesting how the season changes a potluck party: for winter get-togethers, people often come with large pots of stews and soups, hearty cold-weather fare. This weekend, the countertops were spread with several antipasto plates and delicious salads, wraps and bruschetta. The beer was frosty, the wine chilled, and everyone mingled in a relaxed way that was a striking contrast to the high-energy, boisterous crowd (many of the same people) of the winter holiday season.

While I love throwing parties, including birthday parties, it’s been a long time since I’ve been completely comfortable with receiving birthday presents, other than from immediate family and close friends.  But no matter how many times I’ve said “no presents, please,” the simple fact is that people are equally uncomfortable showing up empty-handed.  And that’s how The Birthday Box was born.

I placed a very pretty gift box, the size of a shoe box, on the piano. Next to it, I displayed a printed-out note — I purchased an upright flyer holder from the local office supplies store:

The Birthday Box:
Elephant Sanctuary Donations
Our goal — Let’s feed “Winkie” for a week
Just a couple of bucks from each person here can make a difference!
(Thank you)

Right underneath the box and flyer, in place of a songbook, I put the sanctuary’s current newsletter, which contains profiles of each elephant, and I tabbed the page with Winkie’s update.  It costs the sanctuary $30 a day to feed an elephant.

The Birthday Box is an easy way to raise money and increase awareness about a favorite cause. And no present could have delighted me more than the opportunity to send the collected money to the Tennessee sanctuary the following day.  Well… my husband did surprise me with a ski trip to Jackson Hole for next winter break — that was a pretty cool birthday present, too

Birthday Box Variation for Everyday:
How much extra change do you collect over a few months… over a year?  Why not set up a special jar or box where each day you can empty your pockets of all those loose coins? Decide ahead of time which charitable cause will benefit from this simple gesture that, at the same time, will reduce your clutter.  And, if you have kids, this could be an especially effective way to teach them that it doesn’t take much to make a difference.  Hopefully, they’ll be inspired to contribute to the jar themselves, even if it’s the dime they found on the sidewalk.  The pennies and nickels and dimes add up.

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