Meet Reyha Raghavaraju, the 16-year-old Georgia student who turned her love of baking into birthday celebrations for more than 136 families in need throughout the metro Atlanta area.
A birthday cake may seem like a small thing, a kind gesture. But for a child whose family struggles to make ends meet, having one can mean much more than a piece of cake and a candle. Sixteen-year-old Reyha Raghavaraju saw that firsthand at a food distribution event in Georgia. He noticed a boy wearing a birthday hat, but there was no birthday celebration waiting for them.The sight stayed with her. “This boy was wearing a birthday cap,” Raghavaraju said. “And then I asked him what he was doing for his birthday and he said, ‘I’m here,'” she told CBS News. The Alpharetta teen who loved to bake began to wonder if something as simple as a homemade cake could help children from families facing financial hardship feel celebrated on their special day.That question eventually became Birthday Bundles, a youth-led initiative through which Raghavaraju has helped bring birthday celebrations to more than 136 families across the metro Atlanta area.
She started with what she already loved.
From a celebration to 136 families
Birthday packages gradually expanded. As more people learned about the teenager’s work, volunteers joined. The effort now involves about a dozen volunteers and has reached more than 136 families in the metro Atlanta area, according to CBS News Atlanta.Fourteen-year-old Saira Sharma, a long-time friend and neighbor of Raghavaraju, is one of the young volunteers helping to prepare the cakes and packages. The organization currently works with three shelter partners, including Covenant House Georgia. A recent delivery included a homemade cake and a birthday package prepared for the youth served by the organization.Raghavaraju said the experience has changed the way he thinks about something many families take for granted. “For me, the shocking thing is that they didn’t organize something as simple as a birthday celebration,” he said.Birthday Bundles is now seeking additional volunteer bakers, donations, and shelter partners as it works to expand beyond its current volunteer base in North Fulton.A homemade cake may only last a few days. A gift can eventually be outgrown. He will eat a cupcake. But the feeling of being remembered can last much longer. For a child who would otherwise have had a normal day, receiving a birthday package can send a simple message: your birthday matters, and so do you.
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