Celebration in a Box for College Aged Youth

At Finally Family Homes, we don’t just care for basic needs but also heart needs. Young adults aging out of foster care often celebrate milestones – like birthdays and graduations – alone. These joyful times can be damped by isolation and drive home the feeling that they and their accomplishments aren’t valued.

That’s why we created celebration gift boxes for our young adults. Celebrating holidays and personal milestones with our youth gives them a sense of being valued members of our family community.

We care deeply about ensuring our young adults hear that they matter and are worthy of being noticed and celebrated.

How to Create a Celebration Box

Would you like to participate in helping a young adult feel seen and celebrated? Here’s how you can build a celebration gift box for a young adult in need. Instructions are below. If you would like to create one or more boxes, please sign up here or by choosing the sign up button at the bottom.

Birthday Party in a Box Instructions

Prepare Your Box:

1. Get a storage file box with a lid, approximately – 15” x 12” x 10″. You can use a banker box or a copy paper case box. 
   
2. Select a theme / color scheme for your box. Please aim to keep it gender neutral.  All party supply items should coordinate – so if you choose the colors purple and black, all napkins, plates, streamers, etc. should be purple or black. You can also choose a theme if you think of one that’s appropriate for college aged youth.
   
3. Gift wrap or decorate your box. The lid and box should be wrapped separately so the box can easily be opened and the contents seen, without destroying the wrapping paper. Be creative and do your best to make it look nice. There are some excellent tutorials on YouTube and cool ideas on Etsy if you need hints on how to wrap your box. Also consider decorating the inside of the lid or box!

Fill Your Celebration Gift Box:

Decide on gifts and party items for the box. All items must be new, unopened, and non-perishable.

Download printable instructions here:

Thank you so much again for making the birthday of a young adult from foster care special. Your kindness means a young adult will have all the party tools to celebrate their special day!

Graduation Gift Box Instructions

Prepare Your Box:

1. Get a storage file box with a lid, approximately – 15” x 12” x 10″. You can use a banker box or a copy paper case box. 
   
2. Select a theme / color scheme for your box. Aim for the school colors if know them. All party supply items should coordinate – so if you choose the colors purple and black, all napkins, plates, streamers, etc. should be purple or black.
   
3. Gift wrap or decorate your box. The lid and box should be wrapped separately so the box can easily be opened and the contents seen, without destroying the wrapping paper. Be creative and do your best to make it look nice. There are some excellent tutorials on YouTube and cool ideas on Etsy if you need hints on how to wrap your box. Also consider decorating the inside of the lid or box!

Fill Your Gift Box:

Decide on gifts and party items for the box. All items must be new, unopened, and non-perishable.

Download printable instructions here:

Sign Up to Make a Celebration Box

Click the button below to sign up for one or more celebration boxes. Consider inviting friends over & make it a fun way to give back. Thanks for helping us celebrate our young adults who are aging out of foster care!

Interested in other volunteer opportunities with Finally Family Homes? Visit our volunteer page.