Plainview-Old Bethpage students help grant 'birthday wishes' for teens in crisis

A group from the Plainview-Old Bethpage school community is working to make the birthdays of a few hundred teens facing hardship a little brighter.

Students, staff, parents and business owners on Wednesday will pack about 400 duffel bags with essential items for teens who are homeless or in foster care. The "Power of Belongings" project partnered with a nonprofit to collect items such as hoodies, earbuds, footballs, soccer balls and gift cards.

"Living here on Long Island, in Plainview, it’s a blessing honestly. And there’s people that aren’t so lucky, so to give back, not only does it feel good but it's impactful and makes a difference in someone’s life, which I think is the most important thing," Ben Cheser, a senior at Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School, said.

Wednesday's event, which starts at 6 p.m., will be held at Howard B. Mattlin Middle School in Plainview. The bags will be picked up the next morning by a moving company, which will deliver them to Birthday Wishes, a Hicksville-based nonprofit that provides gifts to children, teens and their families staying in homeless and domestic violence shelters, hotels and other sites, so they can still celebrate their special day.

Last year, Birthday Wishes served 1,600 children, including 400 teens, according to the nonprofit’s director, Jamie Rapfogel.

"It reminds the kids that the day that they were born is special, that they matter. It reminds the parents that they are not isolated and alone," Rapfogel said. “Most families who are homeless are dealing with unending amount of trauma and financially have tremendous difficulties, so it allows them the freedom to celebrate their kids' birthday.”

Spike in homelessness

The homelessness crisis in New York has spiked in recent years, according to a report by the state’s comptroller’s office. Between 2022 and 2024, the number of homeless people more than doubled, leading to more than 50,000 homeless children in the state, the report found.

The increase, in part, can be attributed to "eviction proceedings, lack of affordable housing, increased rents and the influx of asylum-seekers," the January report noted.

Plainview-Old Bethpage high school seniors Hayley Levy and Rachel Levine, along with faculty members, are trying to do their part to help. They have collected donated items from businesses and chamber members, created flyers to spread the word and recruited students to pack and sort items.

"It’s really shown me that I’m very fortunate with what I have and where I've grown up," Levy said.

Cheryl Dender, the district’s coordinator of community services, said the idea for the project, which is in its second year, was sparked after hearing author Regina Calcaterra discuss navigating the challenges of the foster care system and homelessness in Suffolk County during her youth, along with five siblings.

"When I heard her speak about the high need of teens on Long Island that are homeless, in shelters, foster care, I kind of looked at her and said, 'Plainview-Old Bethpage can do something about that,' " Dender said.

Calcaterra, a retired lawyer, is expected to attend Wednesday's event to detail her life, which she captured in her New York Times best-selling book, "Etched in Sand." In an interview, she stressed the importance of building children's self-esteem.

"For that moment to actually recognize this child, who is living in complete chaos, and give them a respectable duffel bag...and be able to say, 'You're important and this is your day. Let's celebrate you,' " she said. "That stays with them."

For more information about Birthday Wishes, visit birthdaywishes.org.