Cake4Kids delivers its 1,000 cake for underserved children in Monterey County

SEASIDE, Calif. (KION) - Cake4Kids is spreading smiles to underserved kids and frosting to cakes in Monterey County. On Tuesday, the non-profit delivered its 1,000 cakes.

"Kids need to know that they're loved and valued, and I think that's what these cakes are doing," says Jen Ibarra, the volunteer ambassador for Cake4Kids

Cake4Kids says it's the little things that mean the world to kids who don't grow up with the simple luxuries in life.

"On the surface, it's just sugar, right? It's just a cake. But I guarantee you it's way more than that to these kids," said Ibarra.

The Monterey chapter for Cake4Kids started back in 2020.

"A lot of these kids are in situations where they might be left behind and forgotten. And to have one day where someone recognizes you and cares about you and to know that a complete stranger went out of their way to do something special for you that really makes a difference in these kids' lives," said Alison Bakewell, the executive director for Cake4Kids.

The 1,000th cake is going to Walter Turner's daughter who is turning 12.

"I appreciate what the shelters done for us and everything they have on remain for us," said Walter Turner,

He and his daughter are staying at the Casa De Noche Buena Shelter in Seaside.

"I think it's God's blessing just to live another day. So when I look at my daughter and how beautiful she's growing and how. Well, she's adapting towards life. I think that that's god's blessing and blessing wisdom upon her and upon our family," said Turner.

These cakes are not the generic ones you pick up at a grocery store.

Members of the non-profit do some digging on what flavor the person they are celebrating likes and then it is made by volunteer bakers like Claire, who had the honor of baking the 1,000th cake.

"I was really shocked when they called and said, this is going to be the thousandth cake. I mean, because there are at least a hundred bakers in the group, you know. so I was excited to do it for this child today," said Claire.

"It just feels amazing that that's 1000 kids who have felt that love in their community," said Ibarra.

Jen says they are always looking for more bakers. They get about 30 to 40 requests for cakes a month, so if you're interested you can contact Cakes4kids.

Jen also tells us they are always looking to partner with local agencies as well to hand out more cakes to children.

Sweetest Surprise

By Cailtin Fillmore

Winter 2023

Everyone has a birthday—a special day dedicated to the moment that they entered this world. Birthdays carry symbolic significance and are celebrated with enthusiasm in most global cultures. But many children living in Monterey County do not experience the warmth, love, and individualized celebrations that most of us enjoy on our birthdays.

Cake4Kids began in 2010 with a sweet and simple mission: making sure that all children can celebrate their birthdays with cake. Since then, the nonprofit has delivered 40,000 cakes to children in refugee camps, group homes, foster care, and other settings associated with the 750 Cake4Kids partner agencies across the country. In Monterey County, children have blown out candles on 700 Cake4Kids creations since Jen Ibarra took the leap to start a local chapter of the nonprofit in 2020.

Ibarra serves as an operations manager for Cake4Kids and is a volunteer ambassador for the newly formed Monterey region of the Sunnyvale-based nonprofit. Ibarra got hooked on cake decorating after attempting a Winnie-the-Pooh cake for her first child’s first birthday. In the years that followed, Ibarra made birthday cakes for her four children’s special days as well as for other local children from her church or community who didn’t have a birthday cake.

When the COVID-19 pandemic was declared and many volunteer opportunities were unavailable, Ibarra discovered Cake4Kids and quickly established the Monterey chapter. “We recognize these kids have bigger needs, but that’s not all that’s needed for a child to have a full and happy life,” explains Ibarra. “They need to know they matter. During the [first waves of the] pandemic, one of our agencies told me it was the single most important thing they did because they were cut off from the kids as well. [The cakes provided] a crucial bridge to kids.”

More than 160 Monterey-area volunteer bakers sign on to an online portal to review the types of cakes that children have dreamed up.

Birthday boys and girls can choose the theme, colors, icing, and flavors they want, and the child’s name is always on the cake.

Volunteer Kiska Icard discovered Cake4Kids as a way to improve her baking skills while helping others during the initial waves of the pandemic. Icard was impressed with how simple it was to make a difference and cherishes the thank-you sentiments she received from a teen who loved her red velvet creation. “Go to the website and register. Do it now,” says Icard. “There is zero downside. You may volunteer as little or as much as you would like. It will make you a better baker, and a better person.”

Bakers of all skill levels come together to do something special for a child they will never meet. Instead, agency partners, such as Lori at Rancho Cielo, deliver the Cake4Kids creations on the volunteers’ behalf. Lori explains that many of the children she works with either never experienced getting a birthday cake or never received one that they did not have to share with other children in their group-living environment.

For Lori, Ibarra’s work to organize Cake4Kids in Monterey was perfect timing, as the children had become increasingly depressed and isolated during the pandemic’s shutdowns. A cheerful cake celebrating all of the child’s favorite things, from sharks to social media, was helpful. “A thank you is not enough,” says Lori about the volunteer bakers, who put so much love into the birthday cakes. “It can be hard for these kids to share emotions,” she says. “When you surprise them with something they’re not expecting . . . that they’re not forgotten, and someone did something just for them . . . wow, what an amazing feeling.”

For more information, visit cake4kids.org.

LInk to the article

Cake4Kids Monterey in the Monterey County Weekly's Daily Newsletter

Monterey County Weekly - Daily Newsletter
By Celia Jiménez
Monday, February 22, 2021

Birthday cakes can create indelible memories.

Good afternoon. 

Celia Jiménez here, remembering the look on my niece Vivian’s overjoyed face when she blew out the candles on her birthday cake at her 2nd birthday party. She loved it so much, the first song she sang was Happy Birthday (when her vocabulary wasn’t more than a few words). She also had the cutest ending: a ffffff (the sound of blowing out candles). Vivian’s parents could afford to buy her a birthday cake, but there are many other parents who can’t. 

Cake4Kids Monterey is here to change that—making sure kids in the county have a cake to celebrate their birthday. Professional and home bakers volunteer to prepare personalized cakes, cupcakes and other treats for families who can’t afford them. 

Despite making those tasty pastries, volunteers don’t have direct contact with the families that request treats, so they don’t get to see children’s reactions firsthand. But Julie Altman, wraparound program director at Kinship Center, a nonprofit child welfare agency, does. It’s her job to deliver the treats to the families. “It makes me feel so lucky to be able to brighten somebody’s day,” she says.

Although a cake doesn't offer much nutritional value, it lifts families up. “It’s just the right thing to add to their day.” Altman has delivered at least six cakes, cupcakes for three graduations and several holiday treats to about 20 families that have received the baked goods with appreciation and smiles on their faces. 

She says Kinship Center got an email when Cake4Kids started locally, and they decided to get involved. “We were eager right away to take advantage of the opportunity to make some events for the families we work with a little more special,” she says. 

Altman says the bakers go above and beyond, making the cakes and treats look outstanding and helping families to feel special.

I think singing “Happy Birthday” was a milestone in Vivian’s life. Probably because at that moment, on her 2nd birthday, she felt loved. She felt special in the way that children should feel, particularly on their birthdays. 

If you would like to contribute or become a volunteer baker, check out Cake4Kids Monterey.

-Celia Jiménez, staff writer, celia@mcweekly.com

A team of volunteer bakers aims to ensure no kid goes without a birthday cake

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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