Company Name: Sixteen Candles, Inc.

Mission:  Sixteen Candles provides foster girls a sixteenth birthday celebration that is memorable and uniquely theirs.

About the Company:  The majority of children in foster care in Massachusetts are between the ages of 13 and 17 and most of them will experience four or more placements.  These vulnerable teens are already burdened by their childhood experiences of neglect, abuse or abandonment.  Girls who do not value themselves are at risk of teen pregnancy, substance abuse, and/or physical abuse.  If we can help to instill a sense of self-worth they will be better armed to defend against these because they will believe that they deserve better.

In many cultures, a girl’s sixteenth birthday is considered a rite of passage.  There is often a candle lighting ceremony where the teen lights 16 candles, each representing someone who has made a difference in their life.  There are thousands of foster children across Massachusetts who would love to celebrate their sixteenth birthday surrounded by the people that matter most to them.   We have created Sixteen Candles, Inc. to put the focus on the teen, even if just for a day, to remind them that they are special and deserving of an event that celebrates their life.  These parties are made possible through the donations of local citizens and businesses.  We believe that providing the community an opportunity to give a foster child a Sixteenth Birthday Celebration rewards the child’s efforts and achievements and will serve to inspire their continued success while at the same time creating community awareness of the needs of foster children.

Website: www.sixteencandles.org

Contact Information: phone: 617-233-6394/email: info@sixteencandles.org

Location: 270 Canal Street, Loft 608, Lawrence, MA  01840