In an exclusive telephone interview with Suite101 on March 31, 2009, Toni Poulos shared the story of her volunteer organization, Free Cakes for Kids.
Toni Poulos knows first-hand that love truly does come from the heart. The mother of seven from Trenton, Georgia, has always been an avid baker, creating custom birthday cakes for her family. One particular day in 2007, she baked a triple-layer, heart-shaped cake to give to her foster daughter who had recently joined the family. Toni and her husband wanted to show the little girl how much she was loved. But instead of joyous excitement, the eight-year old burst into tears. Until that day, no one had ever given her a birthday cake.
Free Cakes for Kids Provides Birthday Cakes to Children in Need
Toni figured there had to be other children living in challenging situations who were missing out on birthday cakes. "I felt like an angel tapped on my shoulder and told me, 'You can help make other children's birthdays happier too.'" In that moment, Free Cakes for Kids was born.
Toni inquired about other disadvantaged children from friends and family service agencies. As names began to pour in, she spent nearly every waking moment in her kitchen, baking birthday cakes one at a time, and at her own expense. Her story reached the media and soon moms across the country began stepping in to help. Under Toni's direction, volunteers from coast to coast started organizing chapters of Free Cakes for Kids. All had one solid belief in mind: "Children are our greatest resource. Our goal is to reach out to as many children as we can and show them there are individuals that do care."
What began as a single gesture of love and caring soon blossomed into a nationwide volunteer effort to reach kids that needed birthday cakes. One year and 200 cakes later, People magazine recognized Toni as a hero and published her story, "Her Cakes Bring Joy to Needy Kids", [Harrington, Maureen, September 1, 2008, Vol. 70].
A Nationwide Volunteer Program, Cakes for Kids Crosses the Atlantic in 2009
Today, Free Cakes for Kids operates chapters all across the country. Moms in England have captured the idea and have begun forming chapters, as well. Career women, stay-at-home moms, grandmothers, and people from all walks of life are leaving a lasting impression with children that don't always believe they are worth such attention.
As always, the birthday cakes are absolutely free. No questions asked.
Free Cakes for Kids is Not Charity
Toni and her crew of volunteers are changing lives one cake at a time. No child is turned away. No questions are asked. "It is every child's birthright," Toni affirms, "to celebrate the day he or she was born."
Everyone at some point in his or her life needs help. Cakes for Kids is not charity, but is a way to reach out to children to let them know how important they are. There are no application forms to fill out, no strings attached, no catches, and no gimmicks.
Cakes for Kids Welcomes Volunteers and Donations
Birthday wishes need a place to start. With the current state of the economy, and with so many people unemployed, the number of cake orders is on the rise. Many families cannot afford to buy bakery cakes for children's birthday parties, or can't afford to purchase birthday cake ingredients.
Anyone who would like to volunteer a few hours or more a week to bake birthday cakes, or who would like to start a Free Cakes for Kids chapter, may contact Toni Poulos by phone or email, or through the Free Cakes for Kids Web site. Donations of equipment and supplies are certainly appreciated and no gift is too small!
Suggestions for Contributions
- Baking Pans
- Eggs, Butter, Sugar, Cake Mixes
- Frosting, Food Coloring
- Cake Decorations and Decorating Kits
- Gift Cards to Craft and Hobby Stores
- Monetary Contributions
Toni would like to emphasize that no special baking or cake decorating skills are required. A volunteer needs only to have a passion for helping children and possess an equal amount of enthusiasm for baking cakes.
Free Cakes for Kids operates through volunteers that believe children are the most valuable resources on the face of the Earth. From Hannah Montana guitar cakes, to frogs, bears, movie-themed cakes, sports cakes and more,what better way to show love and appreciation for a child than with a birthday cake to celebrate the special day when he or she was born? Children qualify from age 1 to 18 years. Volunteer to help a child and make a difference for life.
For more information and for contact information, please visit the Free Cakes for Kids Web site.
Photos Courtesy of Free Cakes for Kids
Mary King - Mary King is a Suite101 Topic Editor for the Caregiver Support and Home Management sections. She has authored 5 teen-based novels.
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