People magazine celebrates Pittsburgh’s Megan Yunn, founder of Beverly’s Birthdays

People magazine’s Heroes Among Us video series found an appropriate hometown hero in Pittsburgh.

Megan Yunn, founder of Beverly’s Birthdays, has been celebrating milestones with local kids since 2011. The idea came from an experience she had with a 12-year-old girl who had never had a birthday party — or even a birthday cake. The organization was named after that girl.

“We have a mission that is universally easy to understand. We all have birthdays, and everyone should know that they are loved, cared for, that they’re noticed and special,” Yunn told People. “Birthdays are joy and hope and smiles. It’s not about lavishness, it’s just about the notion that there are genuinely good people out there and we want to be able to support these families.”

For all her hard work, as any hero should, Yunn passes the credit onto those who help support her mission.

“I always said I just wanted to dump glitter on the city of Pittsburgh,” she said, “and I’ve just been blown away by the community support.”