I thought I might have problems finding the need. What if missions and shelters had everything – and everyone – they wanted? What if they didn’t want my cupcakes? What if….
Matt of The Insight Program, after all, might have been the exception to the rule when he said, “Cupcakes? Teens? Bring it on.” But I know Matt, and he knows my baking. How will it go with someone I don’t know.
It took less than 10 minutes to find out. After approaching The Atlanta Day Shelter for Women and Children, I got back a wonderful response from Ginny, the executive director for development.
“We serve a dessert with each of our lunches. Usually, the desserts we serve are store- bought and lack that special “made with love” touch. Would it be possible to have you do cookies/cupcakes for us that would be easily served to individuals? On average we see around 120-140 women and children each day for lunch—would that be a doable size?”
Um. No. Not by myself. I’ve already struggled with 50 cupcakes for Insight – not in the labor, but in the storing and the delivering. What have I done? Did I really just start, just to fail?
But then a plan emerged – along with some charter “Baked With Love” bakers. We can’t cover everyone every day. But we could do one delivery a month – hopefully in April on the Saturday before Easter. In May, we would do the Saturday before Mother’s Day.
Keisha W., Mary S., Lynne A, and I will each make cupcakes – a total of at least 150 – and meet at the shelter. What was overwhelming is manageable. What seemed impossible was done.
We would like to do more (hint, hint: What You Can Do). But we will do what we can do with what we have in time and energy. I’ll let you know what happens.
