- [Woman] Are you making a wish?
- Extra-Ordinary Birthdays is an organization
that I created to instill self-worth
in homeless children on their birthday.
(cheering and clapping)
When I started, some people said, it's just a birthday.
I mean, my god, they need a house, they need this.
I'm like yeah, they need to be recognized too.
(playful music)
I'm Schinnell Leake, and I'm the founder
of Extra-Ordinary Birthdays.
We go and partner with shelters to provide
personalized birthday parties for homeless children.
I want every child to feel like
their parents ordered this party up.
We're just the people that are helping to make it happen.
- This is her little dress.
- Oh my.
That says unicorn all day long.
- Doesn't it?
It's like super cute.
- Since 2010 we have celebrated over 800 kids.
I started with one shelter and in 2011
we got another shelter and we are now up to nine shelters.
And that's in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.
(cheering)
Extra-Ordinary Birthdays is not just me.
We have our party planners.
They are the heart and soul of EOB
because they are planning parties
for children they don't know.
That is hard to do.
Goody bags, oh my god.
- Goody bags.
- [Schinnell] Now that is over the top.
And they're putting all of this together
from the plates to the napkins, the tablecloths,
they are creating the center pieces.
All of this will be part of the efforts we doing
to transforming the shelter.
(playful music)
One of my greatest joys is their first response
when they come in the room.
Their expectations are so low that when they come in
they just can't believe this party.
- [Woman] Cheese!
- [Schinnell] And we've hit it
on the head every single time.
So we have this questionnaire that basically asks
the children's name, their age, who's coming.
We usually say to them,
give us three things on your wish list.
Three things that they want.
- This is also part of her gift.
I didn't bring her other gifts
but I will have them tomorrow.
Because they were super huge.
- Okay.
(playful music)
♪ Happy birthday to you ♪
♪ Happy birthday ♪
- [Schinnell] And then we always ask them what kinda cake.
- [Group] Yay!
- And how awesome is it
that we are able to fill that?
Because that's specifically what that child wants.
(laughter)
The people that come to the parties
are other children in the shelter.
When a child is homeless,
they're not inviting their friends from school.
Their friends from school don't know they live in a shelter.
Their friends are in the shelter.
So we really are too about building this community.
It's more about the birthday child,
but it's about the culture of those
other homeless children too.
Because they're going away with goody bags
just like everyone else.
And these are things that are speaking
to them in quiet ways.
Even though it's not their birthday, we are still having
some type of impact on that child for that moment.
This mother said something so profound to me.
She says, when you are homeless,
the system reminds you of that every day.
She said, my daughter did something normal today.
She went to a birthday party.
- [Woman] Wow, cool purse.
- [Schinnell] For that moment,
that mom was able to be a mom.
So the children get to see their parents as parents.
And not in a line, getting food
or being part of the handout.
And that's what I love because what I wanted to do
is to take the simple concept of a birthday party
and disrupt everyone's thinking.
(playful music)