Why Celebrating a Child’s Birthday Can Heal Trauma — We Love Birthday Parties
What if a simple birthday party could change the trajectory of a child’s life?
Join us as Shelly Calvert, founder of We Love Birthday Parties, shares how simple celebrations bring healing, dignity, and hope to kids from hard places in Miami County and beyond. Discover powerful stories of childhood poverty, birthday boxes, afterschool programs, and the life-changing impact of showing up for a child. If you want to mentor youth, volunteer locally, or support struggling families, this episode will inspire your next step.
Shelly shares:
The moment God stirred her heart to serve kids in foster care and beyond
How a birthday party became a pathway to healing and hope
The incredible impact volunteers can make—sometimes in just one hour
The stories that keep her going when the work feels heavy
Why community-driven compassion is essential for collective well-being
If you’ve ever wondered how to make a real difference in a child’s life—or how small acts of love can transform a whole community—this episode will move you and give you a clear path to get involved.
👉 Take a simple next step: Complete this quick 2-minute, non-committal interest form to explore how you can help care for at-risk kids throughout Miami County: https://tr.ee/mpmc_digital
🎥 Watch the full interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/rsUGUdINI48
00:00 – Kids who don’t know their birthday & the heart behind the mission
01:00 – Why birthdays matter so deeply for children
02:40 – Podcast introduction
03:00 – Who Shelly is and the vision of We Love Birthday Parties
04:20 – “How are the children?” — What kids are facing today
06:00 – Childhood trauma, overwhelmed parents & unseen stories
07:25 – Why one caring adult changes everything
09:00 – How volunteers can support and get involved
10:10 – What a typical birthday party looks like
11:50 – Different volunteer roles and personality fits
13:40 – Easy on-ramps to mentoring
15:00 – The message every child needs to hear
16:25 – How centers partner with We Love Birthday Parties
18:00 – Kids in deep poverty & the need for expanding the mission
19:40 – The “unseen mission” of birthday boxes
21:00 – What’s inside a birthday box & why it matters
22:40 – The impact on parents and family bonding
24:20 – Stories of healing and dignity
25:45 – How donations directly support families
28:00 – Why booking the event space fuels the mission
29:30 – The win-win of community rentals
31:00 – The essential emotional need only this mission fills
32:30 – Final encouragement & invitation to take a step
33:20 – Bonus: Why Part 2 is worth your time