Cake4Kids celebrates nine years in Santa Clara County delivering smiles to local children

SUNNYVALE, Calif. - Sept. 16, 2019 - PRLog -- For many children, a birthday is a special day filled with fun, family — and birthday cake. But for foster children and other at-risk youth, their special day is not always so.

Cake4Kids, a nonprofit organization founded in 2010 by Sunnyvale resident Libby Gruender, is celebrating its ninth birthday on September 17. The organization partners with Santa Clara County human and social services agencies to deliver birthday cakes, cupcakes or other treats to local at-risk youth. For many, it is the first birthday cake they have ever received. The cakes are baked by a dedicated group of volunteer bakers from Santa Clara County, who use their talents to put smiles on children's faces.

Since September 2010, Cake4Kids has served Santa Clara County underserved youth by:

• Baking and delivering 8,260 cakes
• Partnering with 54 local agencies to help ensure these youth have a birthday to remember
• Growing its dedicated corps of volunteer bakers to more than 450

"The simple gift of a cake means so much more to these children than just a sweet treat. Our goal is to raise the children's self-esteem and confidence on their special day. It may be just a cake but the children we bake for know someone took the time and made the effort to do something special just for them," said Julie Eades, Executive Director of Cake4Kids. "We are so grateful to our wonderful volunteer bakers for all they do for the children - they are our secret ingredient!"

Cake4Kids currently operates in 10 counties in California and in Fairfax County, Virginia and has baked in excess of 15,000 cakes to underserved children since its founding.

Local human and social services agencies submit cake requests through an online portal, providing the child's requests, including their flavor preferences as well as their interests such as superheroes, NFL teams or the ever-popular Elsa from the Frozen movie. Bakers sign up to bake the cakes and deliver them to the agency.

"I've always loved baking cakes. Then I met Libby when our boys were young, and I heard her idea for Cake4Kids," said Christina Cary, one of Cake4Kids longest-serving volunteers. "I knew it was a way to combine my hobby with helping foster children, and I signed up immediately. I just imagine if my own son didn't get a birthday cake, and I'm glad I can make one for another child."

To celebrate its ninth birthday, Cake4Kids is hosting a get-together for its local volunteers and bakers at a local establishment in Sunnyvale. For more information, visit Cake4Kids.org.