11 hours ago
After one year, the Greater Pittsburgh Cake4Kids chapter has crossed 100 deliveries
To some, it may not mean much, but to others, it's everything. A birthday cake can bring joy and happiness to just about anyone at any age.
Delivering cakes is something that a local non-profit has been doing for the past year, and they recently hit a pretty sweet milestone.
Birthday cakes can come in all shapes and sizes, colors and flavors, and some come in the shape of a heart, or they could even come designed like a hamburger complete with all the "toppings."
"She used edible oranges as the tomatoes," said Christa Jones, the Administrative Supervisor for Allegheny Family Network. "These cakes are amazing."
Ishaan Sharma, with the help of his mother Priya, started The Cake4Kids Greater Pittsburgh non-profit about a year ago, and since then, they've helped deliver 100 cakes to at-risk kids, teenagers, and young adults.
"Some of our agencies that we work with will have group birthdays where they hold a bunch of kids' birthdays on the same day, and so while we've only had 100 deliveries, which we're really happy to have, we've actually reached out to over 400 kids," Sharma said.
A lot of those kids come from agencies like Allegheny Family Network. All of the cakes are baked, decorated, and delivered by volunteers.
"We are always excited to see what cake the child is going to pick, and oh my goodness, when they show up, they're gorgeous," said Jean Ericsson, a parent coordinator at Allegheny Family Network.
"It's good to see the kindness of the Pittsburgh community," said Ishaan's mother, Priya. "People show up and support us."
When we talked to Ishaan last year, it was when he decided to start a Cake4Kids chapter here in Pittsburgh. He did it because of his love for baking, and he believed that everyone should get a cake to celebrate their birthday.
"Even the older teens we serve, realizing just how important it is for them to be seen, valued, and appreciated," Ishaan said.
"It's just touching," Jones said.
As for making people happy, there's nothing sweeter than that.
Ishaan said their chapter is one of the fastest-growing Cake4Kids chapters in the United States. Many in the Pittsburgh area are volunteering to make these birthday cakes.
If you would like to volunteer or donate, you can do so on their website at this link.
