A bird cannot fly without feathers. A car cannot start without gas. And a special birthday cake for a young person in the foster care system cannot be made without the elbow grease and love of our amazing For Goodness Cakes volunteers.
For Goodness Cakes runs on the dedication of those who offer their time and abilities. Our volunteers are our foundation and we are so proud to connect with the many women and men who go out of their way to make a child’s birthday so much more than it could be.
We want the world to know who these amazing people are, so today, we are highlighting Jessie. She has been a volunteer with us since September 2016 and we could not be happier to have her as a part of the team.
Jessie came across our charity while browsing through the VolunteerMatch website. She dove into researching the organization and when she found it combined her passion for food and helping children, she was in! Once she attended a volunteer orientation, she filled out the intake form and was all set to get started.
At first, Jessie was nervous. She had always loved cooking, but had never been an expert in baking so this would be a bit of a challenge right from the beginning. Initially, she thought baking would restrict her creativity, but she admitted that once she jumped into volunteering, she came to find that her creativity was actually enhanced.
From experimenting with different batters and frosting recipes, to becoming more advanced and exploring fondant, Jessie surprised herself with just how quickly her skills grew. She’ll be the first to admit there have been some failures along the way, but when it came to ensuring a birthday cake delivery, she always had a backup cake and frosting on hand.
During our interview, Jessie said she felt like For Goodness Cakes opened her eyes to issues she hasn’t previously thought about. She gained so much more from this experience than she realized she ever would. She shared some of what she learned that made the experience even more worthy:
“For example, did you know that 3% of children in California are homeless? Or, that LA County has the highest number of children in foster care - literally 20,000+ kids. Perhaps the most valuable thing I learned is that by donating a short amount of my time, I can create a really memorable moment.”
One of her favorite aspects of volunteering with For Goodness Cakes is knowing her cakes and cookies are going to young people who have likely never received personalized, homemade baked goods before. There are not many feelings that can top being able to make each child feel truly special on their birthday.
Pictured above: Jessie’s favorite cake with For Goodness Cakes (so far!)
Having volunteers like Jessie makes all the difference. One seemingly simple action, like giving a child a personalized cake on their birthday, can have a genuinely significant impact. For Goodness Cakes is proud to be able to bring these amazing volunteers and young people together so a positive impact can be made. Thank you for being a part of the team Jessie. You are truly an inspiration!
Volunteer Spotlight is a monthly series highlighting some of our awesome volunteers.