Just call Holley Hamm “The Birthday Fairy.”

Her nonprofit organization by the same name is gaining momentum and putting smiles on the faces of many area children attending Title 1 schools, which have a high ratio of economically disadvantaged students.

Hamm, who believes every child should be celebrated on their birthday, took that idea last year to a friend, Alyssa Carbine, who teaches kindergarten at Harlan School in Florence.

“I provided the birthday surprises with just as many special items as I could pull together and I’d drop them off for the teacher to put out for the birthday boy or girl. The children never see me,” Hamm said.

Hamm wanted the birthday recognitions, or “Sprinkles” as she calls them, to be spectacular — a lot of bling for the girls and super cool for the boys.

She wanted to go all out with bakery cupcakes, a large goody bag and name-brand backpacks loaded with fun items and school supplies. Each child also gets a special, personalized birthday slip cover for his/her chair at school decorated in fun, vibrant colors.

“I just wanted it to be a really fun, wow-type experience for these kindergartners on their birthday because they should be celebrated and I wanted them to know that,” Hamm said.

By the end of last school year, “The Birthday Fairy” was in high demand for all the kindergarten classes at Harlan.

As the demand grew, Hamm had to change her strategy a bit.

She received nonprofit 501(c)3 status for The Birthday Fairy, Inc. last summer.

Wanting to celebrate even more children, she expanded her program to include another Title 1 school, Threadgill Primary in Sheffield. She also includes special needs children through fourth grade at the two schools.

Threadgill has become the primary school of focus this year with more than 90 kindergartners.

Threadgill Principal Matthew Syesta said Hamm’s mission fits perfectly with the school.

“Some of the kids we serve don’t always have the same access to these kinds of things,” he said. “To bring this love and element of surprise to our children is exactly what we strive for here.”

Syesta said the teachers love and appreciate Hamm. They say she brings with her a bit of a “Christmas/tooth fairy” feel.

To keep the program going with its expansion Hamm is relying on donations and volunteer support.

With a group of friends helping her decorate bags and deliver to schools and her friend Sylvia Rocha making the fabric chair covers, she said her growing program is proof of what happens when people come together to help others.

“I absolutely could not do this without the help of my friends and generous donations,” Hamm said. “I honestly feel like the Lord has had his hand on this from the beginning and I’ve seen how he has blessed our efforts and these precious children.”

She has established a donation chart with a breakdown of sponsorships that determines how many children can be served by each amount. A platinum sponsorship of $5,000 provides birthday supplies for 100 children.

A gold sponsorship of $3,000 provides for 60 children. A silver sponsorship of $1,000 provides for 20 children and a bronze sponsorship of $500 provides for 10 children. A $50 donation sponsors one child.

The Sheffield City Council, in conjunction with Sheffield Utilities, recently gave Hamm a $3,000 donation for her program.

Mayor Steve Stanley said he can think of nothing more beneficial than bringing happiness to children.

“This is a wonderful thing they’re doing,” he said. “Any time you can recognize these children and make them feel special it’s a really good thing.”