ROCHESTER, N.Y. — What started as a gift-giving gesture from a mom to a Rochester classroom is now a busy nonprofit. Happy Birthday Cha Cha Cha distributes birthday gifts to students in need in city schools in Rochester, Buffalo, Utica and Rome.

What You Need To Know

  • Happy Birthday Cha Cha delivers birthday joy to children in need in Rochester, Rome, Utica and Buffalo city school districts

  • Your donation of dollars or items from the HBCCC wish list will bring joy and encouragement to children who need it most

  • HBCCC adopts classrooms where 90 percent of the students are living at or below the poverty level

Carrie Green is pretty good at wrapping gifts.

“I feel like one of Santa’s elves. I can wrap in my sleep, joked Carrie Green, founder of Happy Birthday Cha Cha Cha.

In her at-home workshop, this mother of four helps spread birthday joy to kids in need. How does 3,000 students this school year sound? That’s what her 100% volunteer-run Happy Birthday Cha Cha Cha organization is all about.

“We partner with the schools where over 90% of the student population lives below poverty," Green said. "So we know we are focused on the right kids who are going to be hungry at night."

She buys and accepts donations of toys and some essentials to wrap and pack in every birthday bag along with birthday well-wishes. Volunteers help sort and wrap. Girl Scout troops, sports teams and other organizations all donate to help.

“Teachers tell me sometimes the kids do not even know it is their birthday because it is not celebrated at home," Green said. "When they get to school and the teacher says happy birthday they are surprised."

This is work from the heart that Green says is worth it. The thank you notes and birthday smiles say it all.

“Why do I keep doing it, well I just can’t imagine not. I work full-time and I feel that job feeds my kids but this kind of feeds my soul,” said Green.

Every month the birthday gifts are delivered to schools. Volunteers start wrapping more for the next month.

Right now they have an online auction happening. There are 80 items to bid on including an autographed football from Buffalo Bills running back James Cook, a Dawson Knox autographed Bills jersey, a Cape Cod vacation and a lot more. The auction ends Friday at 3 p.m. Just head to the Happy Birthday Cha Cha Cha Facebook page to bid.