Jennifer Ibarra (above) launched the local chapter of Cake4Kids during the pandemic. Bakers buy the ingredients and they bake and deliver birthday cakes for kids in need. (Joel Angel Juarez)
Monterey County Weekly
By Celia Jiménez
Saturday, February 13, 2021
One of the main stars at a child’s birthday party – besides the birthday kid, of course – is the cake. Seeing a child smile and the spark of joy in their eyes while they are thinking about a wish and blowing out the candles is a memory-making event.
Now a local nonprofit organization is working to make sure every kid in Monterey County has a cake on their special day, regardless of the family’s ability to pay.
Cake4Kids Monterey has been active in the county for less than six months, but the organization has been active across the country since 2010. They make custom cakes and treats for kids whose families can’t afford them. The children are from low-income families and may not have parents in their home. The family may be homeless or the child might be in foster care.
The Monterey chapter started in October when Salinas resident Jennifer Ibarra was looking for a way to volunteer after many places were shut down because of Covid-19. She came across Cake4kids and says she was excited about it because it mixes her two favorite things – kids and baking.
When she found out the nearest chapter was in San Jose, she decided to start her own. After being approved, she began reaching out via social media to various community groups across the county. Her posts were shared and re-shared and the local chapter of Cake4Kids now has about 50 volunteer bakers, ranging from amateurs to professionals.
Kids can choose the flavor and theme. And even if they don’t want a cake, they can ask for other treats like cookies or cupcakes. Cake4Kids also makes treats for the holidays, including Christmas and Valentine’s Day.
But just as baking is a creative endeavor, the volunteer bakers have to imagine the happy smiles of the recipients. For safety and privacy reasons, the bakers never meet the children who receive the cakes.
All orders have to be made through an established organization. The nonprofit is working with groups including The Kinship Center, Rancho Cielo and some school districts.
Any baker who is at least 16 years old, regardless of their level of experience, can get involved. “The most important requirement is having a big heart,” Ibarra says. Those under 18 can participate in a parent-teen team. Volunteers have to attend an online orientation and bakers have to be able to bake, decorate and deliver the cakes. Each volunteer goes to an online portal, where they pick the orders they want to make. Once they are done, they deliver the finished product to the agency that placed the order.
Toula Hubbard found out about the organization after seeing Ibarra’s Facebook request for volunteers. Hubbard’s 17-year-old daughter Thalia signed up. Hubbard is not a professional baker but has learned how to make cakes from scratch. Thalia is practicing what she learned at a culinary class she took at Pacific Grove High School.
For Hubbard, it is more about doing something special for the kids, but it’s been a good excuse to learn how to bake. Sometimes when she sees the orders, she thinks about the recipient. “I think, ‘what does this child like? Are they afraid to ask for what they want? Are they afraid if they ask for too much it won’t be provided to them?’”
Hubbard says baking for Cake4Kids has created a stronger bond with her daughter. “Having the chance to talk to her,” she says, “there is no technology, there’s nothing to distract us.”
Amy Verduzco loves celebrating her birthday and she thinks getting a birthday cake can make a big difference in a kid’s life. The self-taught pastry chef currently works at Monterey Plaza Hotel’s pastry department. Due to Covid-19, her hours were reduced drastically – from 40 to eight hours a week – and she’s spending her free time baking birthday cakes. “It really makes me feel a little better over all the bad things that are happening,” she says.
The first cake was delivered Nov. 2, and demand is growing. Cake4Kids has baked nearly 100 orders and has received almost 40 orders this month alone. With rising demand, Ibarra says they are in need of donations and volunteers. Many families are struggling to keep afloat during the pandemic and Ibarra says it’s more important than ever to bring smiles to kids.
To contribute or become a volunteer baker, visit cake4kids.org/our-chapters-monterey
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