Hazard, KY – By day, Cameron Faris is a marketing analyst and digital campaign manager, a valuable part of the ARH family. Outside work, she is the founder of Dreams Delivered Daily (3D), a Kentucky nonprofit dedicated to ensuring no child in foster care spends another birthday feeling forgotten. Now, that dedication has earned her a spot in the BRIGHT Kentucky Class of 2026, a leadership program that develops the next generation of leaders.

“I am absolutely honored to be part of this program,” Faris said. “It’s an opportunity that I do not take lightly.”

Faris started Dreams Delivered Daily in January 2025 after recognizing that birthdays in foster care were often overlooked. While foster homes typically receive a small stipend to celebrate a child’s birthday, Faris saw an opportunity to create something unforgettable.

“Birthdays should never be a burden,” she said.

Every celebration through 3D is personalized. Youth choose their own cake flavor and theme, submit a wish list, and are guaranteed at least one gift. Faris initially hoped to celebrate 52 children in the organization’s first year.

That goal was surpassed.

“Thanks to an incredible community of volunteers, donors, and partners, we celebrated 243 youth across Kentucky in 2025,” she said. “We are now on track to celebrate more than 350 this year.”

Today, Dreams Delivered Daily relies on nearly 50 volunteers and about 15 local bakeries across Kentucky to make those celebrations possible.

When asked what inspires her work, Faris recalls the birthday of a 17-year-old boy who had been in foster care since age 5 and was living in a Louisville group home. His requests were simple. He wanted a Nike jacket and a Baltimore Ravens-themed cake.

“A staff member met me in the parking lot and explained that the young man was inside, very nervous, because he had never had a birthday celebration before,” Faris recalled.

When she opened the cake box, the boy quietly said, “I’ve never had my name on a cake before,” he told her. “One that was just for me.”

Faris said that moment hit hard. Wanting to lighten the mood, she joked about being a Bengals fan and delivering a Ravens cake. The teenager laughed and the conversation quickly turned into a moment of connection.

“He took his cake and his gift with pride, and I left there feeling overwhelmed with gratitude and a few tears when I got back to my car.”

A few weeks later, Faris returned to the group home and was surprised with a handmade thank-you card from the teen. Today, the card hangs above her desk as a reminder of why she does this work.

Faris was encouraged to apply to BRIGHT by Ruthie Caldwell, a grant writing consultant she had been working with, who spoke highly of the program’s ability to shape leaders both personally and professionally.

For Faris, leadership has never been about titles or recognition.

“It’s about serving others with humility, building people up, and creating opportunities for those around you to succeed,” she said.

Through BRIGHT, Faris hopes to strengthen her leadership skills and bring new ideas back to both ARH and 3D.

“I hope to bring back fresh ideas, new perspectives, and practical leadership strategies that can positively impact both organizations,” she said.

One lesson has guided her throughout her journey.

“Change happens through collaboration,” Faris said. “No one person or organization can do it alone.”

The thank-you card above her desk serves as a reminder of what can happen when people come together to support a child and make them feel seen, celebrated and valued.

To learn more about Dreams Delivered Daily, or to volunteer, donate or partner with the organization, visit 3d-ky.com

ARH is proud to celebrate Cameron Faris as she joins the BRIGHT Kentucky Class of 2026 and is excited to see where her heart for service takes her next.

About BRIGHT Kentucky

BRIGHT Kentucky is a leadership development program that began in 2019. The program is for young professionals ages 21-40 living in the 54 counties that comprise the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). The goal of BRIGHT Kentucky is to impact community and economic development. The program is funded through an ARC grant and private funding from the Whitaker Foundation, AEP Foundation/Kentucky Power, and other donors.

Members of the BRIGHT Kentucky class will attend five sessions in different areas of Kentucky. Sessions focus on building and honing communication, collaboration, consensus building, visioning, and community engagement skills. The primary goal of these sessions is to help members of the 2023 BRIGHT Kentucky class understand and see the connections, backgrounds, conditions, and more that make up a local economy to impact sustaining growth and change.

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