In 2001 the Women’s Networking Forum held its semi-annual meeting at the CB Richard Ellis World Conference in Las Vegas.  Myra Smith spoke about a program she had started in Houston, Texas.  She was delivering birthday cakes to children at a homeless shelter, one cake for each child on their birthday.   She was also donating funds to support the same program at another shelter. 

“We have an opportunity within the Women’s Network, to love a child, a homeless child, a child who may not know he or she is loved,” said Smith in her presentation to the Forum on that day in 2001. 

Together with Lisa Konieczka, Senior Vice President; Jena Hollensteiner, Regional Marketing Director, and other members of the Women’s Network, Myra Smith helped establish Birthday Cakes for Homeless Children programs in cities such as Chicago, Denver, and Washington, D.C., among others.  Since then the program has grown to 41 shelters in 32 cities.

The program became a part of The CB Richard Ellis Foundation in 2004.  This program is dedicated to helping homeless children experience the much-needed joy a birthday cake can bring on their special day.  Our goal is to establish the Birthday Cakes for Homeless Children Program in every city where our professionals work and live.

In mid-year 2005 Kathleen Thompson joined the Birthday Cakes for Homeless Children Program to lead the National Committee.  Kathleen works with shelters and CBRE offices organizing new Birthday Cakes programs in additional cities throughout the Americas.

The program is simple:

• A personalized birthday cake is delivered to each child at the shelter on their birthday.
• If multiple children have birthdays on the same day, multiple cakes are delivered, one for each child.
• Cakes are the same quality that you would give to your own children on their birthday.

Your involvement in the program can vary.  Please click on the “How to Get Involved” tab to the left of this page to find out just what you can do for this great program. 

We need everyone’s participation if it is going to work for all of the kids!