'Enough cake for everybody' - The Herald-News

The impact the program is having on the youth involved with the Boys and Girls Club is huge, Diab said. The Boys and Girls Club serves over 1,000 youth, many of them living in homeless shelters and foster homes, he added.

"They don't get a lot of fun and celebration on their birthdays," Diab said. "This makes them feel part of a family. It's really cool. They love it to the point that they're are telling us their birthdays are in June and it's only February."

Of course, the Boys and Girls Club does acknowledge individual birthdays, but the club doesn't have the resources to do more.

"We have a lot of kids where who are 18. Everyone's included," Diab said. "Her whole family takes part: her mother, siblings, cousins, her aunts. It's a cool thing...a lot of kids get overlooked on their birthdays. This makes them fee; empowered. They feel celebrated, they feel valued."

What inspired a 15-year-old to start her own nonprofit?

Around Sonika's 13th birthday, it occurred to her that other people don't always celebrate their birthdays with as much festivity as her family celebrated hers.

In addition, Sonika always felt drawn to giving back and her family often donated to charities, she said. Starting a nonprofit that ensured everyone had happy birthdays made sense to her.

So Sonika approached her mother Anna Menon, a certified public accountant, and said, "I have this idea; I'm not sure if it's going to work, could we give it a try?'"

As the program grew and Sonika began receiving more and more donations, Anna said she researched the way to become an official not-for-profit organization.

And Sonika, not understanding the process, had said, "Let's do it today,'" Anna said.

Anna provided insight into why birthdays are important to Sonika.

"When I was pregnant with her I had a lot of complications, but I had so much support, it helped me get through it," Anna said. "It made her birthday very important in our lives...it's very fulfilling to see all the happiness she's bringing."

Anna is not surprised Sonika is so dedicated to the program, even while keeping up with her schoolwork, because that's Sonika's overall mindset, she said.

"Either she puts her whole heart into it or she doesn't do it at all," Anna said. "The sky's the limit for her. There's no limit to how much you can help someone."

Above: Sonika Menon (left), Rinna Talwar (right)

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