The Birthday Buzz

WHAT’S THE BIRTHDAY BUZZ ABOUT?  New Moms' Survey Reveals Widespread Support for Birthday Parties that Make a Difference.

It’s inevitable – every year moms prepare for the annual kiddie birthday party, but why not make it fun and rewarding. The 2008 Quaker Youth Volunteerism Report, conducted on behalf of Quaker’s Kids Doing Good Campaign, recognizes moms’ interest in guiding their children to volunteer by dedicating their birthday parties to doing good deeds. Question is…how do you make it easy and fun?

Barriers to Engaging Kids in Volunteerism

While moms want to help their young kids get involved in doing good deeds for the community, they face some challenges.
  1. Lack of Awareness: Majority of moms (69 percent) say they’re either not aware or unsure of existing volunteer opportunities for younger children in their communities.
  2. Lack of Time: Nearly half of moms surveyed (44 percent) admit they don’t have enough time in their schedule to organize a youth volunteer activity.
  3. Lack of Resources: Nearly one-quarter of moms surveyed (23 percent) say they don’t know where to start getting children involved in volunteering, and nearly half of moms (45 percent) say they don’t know how to make it fun and relevant enough to hold their child’s interest.

Quaker Birthday Party with a Purpose

The good news is that the majority of moms (81 percent) are interested in the idea of hosting a birthday party with a purpose. Here’s what else moms had to say about this creative youth volunteerism program:
  • Almost all moms surveyed (93 percent) feel birthday parties with a purpose can help children recognize the value of giving, as well as getting, on their birthdays. The same percent believe birthday parties with a purpose can help children feel great about themselves.
  • Moms agree birthday parties with a purpose are a great way to:
    • Celebrate children for who they are and their power to help others (92 percent)
    • Celebrate my child’s importance in the community on his or her special day (90 percent)
    • Help get kids excited about performing community service (89 percent)
    • Lead children to volunteer (89 percent)
  • Nearly two-thirds of moms surveyed (64 percent) believe a Web site with ideas for themed volunteer activities would be very useful.
To help moms introduce children to the thrill of doing good deeds for their community, Quaker is offering Birthday Party with a Purpose kits and online resources with themed party materials and age-appropriate volunteer activities. Created in partnership with Kids Care Clubs, a leading national youth volunteerism organization, the kits include a how-to guide and other tools to help moms throw the perfect bash that lets kids give back.

Beyond Birthday Parties Volunteerism Teaches Life Lessons

Moms believe volunteerism develops a wide range of positive traits in young children. Moms surveyed recognize volunteering can help children develop:
  • Respect (88 percent)
  • Cooperation (78 percent)
  • Teamwork, (87 percent)
  • Compassion (85 percent).
For more information about Quaker’s Birthday Parties with a Purpose kits, visit ww.QuakerKidsDoingGood.com or contact Amy Lind, amy.lind@ogilvypr.com.

*The 2008 Quaker Youth Volunteerism Report conducted by Russell Research, July 2008, among 816 respondents across the United States.