CAUSES FOR CELEBRATION

Hearts of Gold creates joyful celebrations for shelter residents by honoring their birthdays, holidays and special occasions throughout the year.  We provide gifts, parties and laughter, promoting both family unity and socialization skills during occasions that should never be forgotten.

HoG organizes Let’s Celebrate in honor of Black History Month and Spanish Heritage Day, as well as Valentines Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  During these events, mothers and their children are entertained, share a fully catered meal together and receive amazing individualized gift packages.  At HoG, we shop where every family aspires to go for their children’s gifts and pay as little as one third of wholesale prices for clothing at French Toast and gifts at Wisconsin Toys.  Moms’ beauty products are donated by Bobbi BrownCosmetics, Philosophy and more.  We throw bi-monthly Birthday Partiesfor every child whose birthday falls within each month, with staff and volunteers alike entertaining and distributing more fabulous gifts. 

HoG also celebrates Arrivals and Departures! – for expectant mothers awaiting an arrival, and departing families who are moving into their own home. On these joyous occasions, pregnant mothers receive a “Shower in a Bag” containing baby blankets, bottles, clothing and other essentials for their newborn.  Likewise, families moving into their own home, each receive a “Fresh Start” package containing towels, kitchenware and many other home essentials.  For families in dire need, who have almost nothing when they move, we shop with them to purchase well needed items like couches, beds, tables and chairs at reasonable prices, and delivers the furnishings to their new homes.

Remembering her first experience with HoG’s programs in 1992, one mother explained, “It was something beautiful.  I never expected that someone could treat you as special in a shelter.  I cried when the Easter Bunny gave us gifts.”  As she progressed, HoG helped her search for a new home, paid the security deposit, bought her furniture from thrift stores and shopped for clothing when she got a new job as a day-care teacher.  She is now gainfully employed in the shelter she used to live in and is giving back.  She still calls HoG when she’s feeling low to help her get a new perspective on things. “Hearts of Gold is like family, not like a stranger giving you things,” she said, thankful that HoG’s generosity came into her life and the lives of her two wonderful children.