Forty-two volunteers representing the Rotary Club of Scottsdale Arizona and members of Scottsdale Preparatory High School's Rotary Interact Club joined forces to complete a community service project with Arizona Helping Hands.  The mission of Arizona Helping Hands is to provide essential needs for children in foster care (over 14,000 kids in Arizona) through programs promoting safety, permanency and health.   

The Rotary Club of Scottsdale's Foundation provided $3,000 in support of this project and the volunteers provided much needed smiles for kids by making Birthday Bags for 40 children in foster care.  Each volunteer was given a foster child's wish list.   Arizona Helping Hands' warehouse in Northeast Phoenix has beds, cribs, clothing, backpacks and school supplies, toiletries, and toys from ongoing toy drives.  

Per the Club's Community Service Project Director, Laura Biever, the volunteers selected the birthday toys and books to go in each child’s gift bag.  They gift wrapped the items and then decorated the bags especially for each individual child.   Forty children in the foster care system will have a special birthday because of this volunteer event.    

Arizona Helping Hands' Corporate Engagement Officer Sherie Siegel stated: Arizona Helping is truly appreciative of The Rotary Club of Scottsdale for participating in a Birthday Dreams Team Building Experience and sponsoring 40 birthday packages for boys and girls in foster care throughout Arizona. The group helped to personalize and decorate birthday bags specific for a child turning 1-12, select the perfect gifts and new book, wrap the presents and finish by tying a bow at the top of the bag. In 2019 Arizona Helping Hands made birthdays special for 3,596 children in foster care turning 1-21 throughout the state of Arizona. For more information about Arizona Helping Hands please visit AzHelpingHands.org.