“It all started when my daughter told me about a conversation she overheard while volunteering for a local food pantry,” says Robin McAllister-Zaas, the founder of The Mirth Project, “she said ‘A little girl asked this boy what Santa was bringing him for Christmas—and he told her that Santa doesn’t stop at his house.’”
Overhearing that little boy’s heartache was the missing piece Robin needed to finally start the nonprofit she’d been dreaming of since she was a little girl—“I've always had a heart for volunteering and from a young age knew someday I'd have my own nonprofit, but it wasn't until 2017 that I finally found a niche that wasn't being filled.”
This simple, overheard snippet shook Robin to the core. “I couldn't stop thinking about that conversation.” She said, “Over the next year, I researched organizations that helped people at Christmas time and discovered that none of them focused on teens.” Seeing this opportunity, and knowing how important holidays can be for this age group, Robin reached out to her community.
“We wouldn't exist without the support of our community,” Robin reflects, “I believe that everyone wants to give, they just need to be shown how.” In the first year, with the help of social media, The Mirth Project was able to fulfill the wish lists of 125 low-income teens—and even spread “Mirth Magic” to another 175.
These simple wish lists are the stories that inspire Robin over and over again. Like the middle-school girl who received a tennis racket a Mirth elf brought. “That tennis racket was a lifeline.” She explains, “The teen had been struggling with depression and that tennis racket allowed her to join the tennis team at her school. Because of that racket, she made some friends, her mood improved, and school wasn't so scary anymore.”
It's these snapshots—the lives being changed for the better—that makes The Mirth Project and its volunteers positively drip with holiday cheer. “Now our donors show up to support all of our additional programs, whether it's purchasing items on teens wish lists or participating on one of our committees.” There are several ways to experience the Mirth.
But, like every non-profit, funding is the biggest challenge The Mirth Project faces. “We have big goals for our work, and finding people and funders who are interested in supporting the mission is tough.” Robin says, “I don't think it's lack of interest, though. It's lack of awareness around the kinds of problems former foster youth face through no fault of their own.”
Creating Mirth Magic is as simple as supporting a teen in need through the private Facebook group, or by following and resharing social-media posts from The Mirth Project (they’re aiming for 1,000 subscribers, to be a part of Tik Tok for good). Seeing the lives of low-income teens improve, whether by lifting them from depression, providing daily essentials, or giving Santa a reason to stop at their house, proves there is something truly magical about Mirth.
You can follow The Mirth Project on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Linkedin @TheMirthProject.