RALEIGH, N.C. — An army of volunteers in the Triangle is baking and delivering birthday cakes to children whose life circumstances have never allowed them to experience a birthday celebration before.
Mashavu Gordon launched Cake4Kids North Carolina two years ago with a mission to let kids know they aren’t forgotten and make sure underserved youth in the Triangle have birthday celebrations worth remembering.
“When you think about being a child, your birthday is supposed to be your special day, and it was really humbling to know that some of these young people, even the teens and young adults that we service, had never had a birthday cake before,” Gordon said.
Cake4Kids is an organization that partners with agencies who support youth who are at risk. A team of more than 100 volunteers in our state works to reach those in foster care, homeless shelters, domestic violence or human trafficking shelters, substance abuse programs and refugees.
“These young people, they didn't have anything to do with the circumstances that they've been placed in, but they show up every single day and this is just our way of showing up for them,” Gordon said.
The kids send in custom requests for flavors, frostings and decorations, and volunteers do their best to make those dreams come to life.
There are more than 12,000 kids in foster care in our state and tens of thousands who are homeless. A birthday cake or cupcakes may not seem like much, but when a child has never had their birthday celebrated before it can be the much-needed reminder that someone cares for them.
“For me, it's more than a cake, you know, it's a way to raise their self-esteem,” Gordon said. “It is a way to let them know that they matter.”
Cake4Kids originally started in California in 2010, and it has expanded nationwide. However, this is still the only chapter in North Carolina, and they’re only able to serve the Triangle. The demand is high, and Gordon invites anyone with an interest in baking to join her in spreading smiles one cake delivery at a time, no experience necessary.
