Spreading joy to children, which starts with noticing and grows with
simple, meaningful, and transparent giving.
Hi, I’m Maahi Prakash
The Story Behind Bag of Joy
I started Bag of Joy in 2019, when I was in fifth grade. I learned that many kids in foster care might not receive gifts during the holidays. I had always felt the joy of the season, but I realized not every child gets to feel that way. I knew it was a small start, but I wanted to help.
I picked up three wishlists from Friends of Foster Kids in Shelby Township, Michigan, and fulfilled them through fundraising. I knew I’d never meet the children receiving the gifts, but just imagining their excitement made it feel different. That feeling stayed with me, and it keeps bringing me back each and every year.
I noticed three things: first, people are busy—so giving has to be simple. Second, they want to know exactly where their money is going—so it needs to be transparent. And third, they want to feel like they’re making a difference—that’s what makes it meaningful.
Bag of Joy has grown with me over the last seven years, but its heart is still the same: helping kids feel seen, valued, and supported. I’ve learned that the smallest actions can bring joy—and those actions often start with noticing.
How Bag of Joy Works
Notice. Care. Give.
Giving starts with noticing—and grows through caring and taking simple action.
Step 1: Notice
Learn about the needs of children—locally and globally—and choose where you want to make a difference.
Step 2: Care
Adopt a wishlist to help a foster child or support a student’s education and meals overseas.
Step 3: Give
Take action—bring holiday joy to a child locally, or fund a child’s education globally.
Noticing is the first step. Giving doesn’t have to be big to make a difference.
Giving often starts with noticing—then caring, then doing something small to help another child.
Our Local Partner: Friends of Foster Kids
They help bring holiday joy to kids in foster care.
Friends of Foster Kids (FoFK) is a nonprofit based in Shelby Township, Michigan, founded by Ms. Theresa Toia in 2006. Every year, they collect wishlists from children in foster care and make sure each gift is thoughtfully wrapped and delivered.
Bag of Joy has partnered with FoFK since 2019, helping make holiday wishes come true for kids who might otherwise go without.
Click below to adopt a wishlist that connects with you.
Even a small act of giving can help make a child’s holiday brighter.
Our Global Partner: Project Okurase
They help students in Ghana go to school, receive daily hot meals—and soon, access the internet.
Based in Charleston, South Carolina, Project Okurase was founded by Dr. Cynthia Swenson of the Medical University of South Carolina. The nonprofit supports children in the rural village of Okurase, Ghana by making education, meals, and digital access more reachable.
Bag of Joy has partnered with Project Okurase since 2024 to help support students at Nkabom Sundrops Montessori—including the effort to bring internet connectivity to the school for the very first time.
Your support helps kids in Okurase learn, dream, and stay connected to a brighter future.
Why Give with Bag of Joy
Because we make giving simple, transparent, and meaningful.
Every child carries a bag—for books, dreams, and hopes for the future. Bag of Joy exists to help fill those bags with care, kindness, and opportunity.
Simple: Giving is easy and accessible from any device, so anyone can help—anytime.
Transparent: You always know where your contribution goes—directly to the trusted nonprofits we partner with.
Meaningful: Giving doesn’t have to be big to matter. Bag of Joy helps people support causes they care about in ways that reflect what matters to them.
Every small act begins with noticing. When we notice, care, and give, we spread joy.