Notes

• Brightening Birthdays (voa.org): Here’s an opportunity to make a homeless child’s dream come true: You can help give him or her a birthday party by either volunteering at events (ten states currently participate in the program) or simply donating supplies.

• Wish Upon a Hero (wishuponaherofoundation.org): It’s your chance to be an everyday hero: Volunteers sign up to be “wish ambassadors” and help fulfill requests posted to heronetwork.com (“toys and blankets for orphaned animals,” for example) by sending e-mails, making phone calls, or writing letters to organizations that may have the ability to donate.
• KaBOOM! (kaboom.org): In some communities, fresh air and exercise are a luxury that kids can’t access. Enter KaBOOM!, an organization whose volunteers build and improve playgrounds around the United States. Representatives say over six million children have been served by these efforts, which focus on struggling neighborhoods and urban areas that lack green space.