My name is Georgie Kincer, and alongside my husband, Keith Kincer, we are proud volunteers with Dreams Delivered Daily. Over the years, we have learned that some of the most meaningful moments happen when things don’t go according to plan, but people step up anyway.
One Saturday afternoon in November, Keith was underneath our home working on water repairs, while I was cleaning the house, when we received a call from Cameron. She explained there was a youth with a birthday the very next day, located in Harold, Kentucky, nearly an hour and a half away – her name is Sally. Time was running short, and she was unsure how everything was going to come together in time for the celebration.
Immediately, we went into action. Keith crawled out from underneath the house, still covered in mud and dirt, and drove straight to Food City to pick up a birthday cake from the bakery. The only information we had about Sally was that she loved pink, purple, and clothing. At the same time, Cameron reached out to a local boutique that has become an incredible community partner, and they generously donated clothing for the birthday girl. I picked up the donated items and met Keith in Whitesburg so he could continue the drive to Harold with everything she would need for her special day.
When Keith arrived at the foster home, the response from Sally was something we will never forget. Despite the fact that he was still dirty from spending the day working under the house, she ran up and gave him a huge hug. She looked at the birthday cake with her name written across it and told him it was the most beautiful cake she had ever seen. She was so excited to have new clothes to wear to school on Monday and couldn’t wait to tell her friends that she had gotten to celebrate her birthday over the weekend.
As Keith called me on his way home to tell me the delivery had been a success, I received another phone call from the foster mom. She was emotional as she thanked us for what our organization had done for the children in her home. Then the birthday girl, Sally, got on the phone to thank me herself before asking if someone else could speak to me.
A young boy came on the line and introduced himself as Toby. He sweetly explained that his birthday was March 11th and wanted to make sure I knew he lived there with Sally because he hoped he could have a birthday party from us too. I assured him we would absolutely make that happen. He became so excited, thanking us repeatedly.
Months later, when March arrived, I reached back out to the foster mom to begin planning Toby’s birthday celebration. She shared that Toby had asked for a guitar but understood it was probably too expensive, so she said anything music-related would mean a lot to him. Once again, Dreams Delivered Daily showed up in an incredible way. Toby not only received a guitar and amplifier, but he also received a birthday cake topped with a guitar keepsake designed to look just like his new instrument.
When Keith and I returned to the home in Harold to celebrate Toby, his excitement filled the room. He kept talking about how it was the nicest cake he had ever seen. He hugged us over and over, thanking us repeatedly throughout the visit.
As we were leaving the home and beginning to pull away, Toby suddenly came running outside toward the truck. He reached the driver’s side window and said, “You guys are my favorite people there is.” Keith smiled and told him that we thought he was pretty cool, too. As Keith wished him a happy birthday, Toby enthusiastically shouted back, “Happy birthday to you — I mean, thank you so much!”
In that moment, every mile driven, every dollar spent on gas, and every bit of effort it took to make those birthdays happen became more than worth it. Moments like these are a reminder that birthdays are about far more than presents or cake. For many youth in foster care, they are reminded that they are seen, celebrated, valued, and deeply loved.
**For the safety and privacy of the youth in this story, the name has been changed.
