Cakes for Cause FAQs

What is Cakes for Cause?
Cakes for Cause is a non-profit corporation located in Frederick, Maryland. Our organization was founded in January 2008 and incorporated in February of the same year. We operate a social enterprise café in the Bernard W. Brown Community Center in Frederick’s historic district. We serve youth who will age out or have aged out of the foster care system and youth who are living in public housing with intensive vocational services. Our retail space construction was completed in September 2009 and we opened Moxie Bakery & Café in October 2009. Once this social enterprise is operating at full capacity, our youth apprentices (aged 16-21) participate in 6 months of paid employment, job training in a bakery environment, and life skills training. Upon graduation with 6 months of job experience, the youth we serve will be better prepared to obtain and maintain employment and will have many of the skills in place to function effectively as adults in our communities.

Our program is a creative collaboration between our organization and the Housing Authority of the City of Frederick and the city’s HOPE VI federal housing initiative. We also work closely with the Department of Social Services and several other city and county agencies to help address the critical needs of underserved youth in our community.

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How can I help Cakes for Cause?
As a social enterprise, our model is based on the development of a viable business that meets the needs and interests of the community. The best way for any person to support our organization is by patronizing our social enterprise establishment. Our staff is comprised of professionals from the food service industry who have brought their skills together in a unique teaching environment. Our baked goods and food are of the highest quality, prepared in small batches and intended to impart a sense of craftsmanship upon the youth who go through our program. Our customer service team is in place to pamper you and we encourage you to linger in our inviting and friendly restaurant. We teach these same elements to the youth in our program because we believe that by professionalizing their experience in a food service environment, they are much more valued as future employees in other cafés and restaurants.

Our social enterprise Moxie Bakery & Cafe is open 6 days a week, offering breakfast, lunch, and plated desserts. On Sundays, the café serves a seated brunch. Our space is has an elegant and eclectic vibe, and is designed for people to linger over their coffee and desserts. We also offer free wi-fi and feature rotating exhibits of local artists.

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How is Cakes for Cause structured?
Cakes for Cause is structured as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It is governed by a 12-14 member volunteer Board of Directors. All profits generated from the café support the activities of the vocational program. Additional funding comes from individual donations, corporate donations, foundation and state grants and fundraising events.

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Can I make a donation to Cakes for Cause?
You may contribute to Cakes for Cause in several ways. If you’d like to donate online, you may do so directly on our website. You may also donate online through the charity watchdog group Guidestar (www.guidestar.org, search for “cakes for cause”). You may also write a check directly to Cakes for Cause and mail it to our administrative offices. Any method is tax-deductible. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

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How can I get involved as a volunteer with Cakes for Cause?
We invite members of the community to participate and make a difference for the youth in our program. Cakes for Cause has a variety of opportunities for people who want to become involved as volunteers. Our summer farmers’ market booth is entirely staffed by volunteers. Our board of directors maintains several standing committees where volunteers have been critical to the development of our organization, particularly in the areas of marketing and fundraising. Periodically we offer one-time opportunities to work with our staff and apprentices on special projects such as our holiday gingerbread cookie fundraiser. Adults from the community may serve as mentors for the youth in our program for the six months of their placement and interested individuals may also serve on the Board of Directors or Advisory Board for the organization. Board Members serve minimum two-year terms and meet approximately every six weeks.

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How does a youth qualify for the Cakes for Cause program?
Youth appropriate for the program meet one or more of the following criteria: a) be under the custody of or directed to receive services as a result of Protective Services (DSS) or CASA involvement, b) be living in public housing in the City or County of Frederick, and/or c) meet eligibility requirements for the program as defined by income level, school performance or status, and juvenile status. Most of the youth in the program have a source of funding attached (determined on a sliding scale or negotiated basis) for participation.

The target population for Cakes for Cause is adolescents (male and female) between the ages of 16 and 21 who may have experienced difficulties in a traditional school setting, and have exhibited behaviors which have caused disruptions at home, in school, and/or in the community. Youth referred to Cakes for Cause will undergo an interview with their agency caseworker or referral source, and may be invited to participate in a one-week trial at the program to evaluate their interest in further participation. Upon acceptance into the program, the referral source must be prepared to participate in the development of the service plan and in monthly team meetings to evaluate progress and challenges.

If you would like to receive a referral packet, please email us at info@cakesforcause.org

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Why did you develop the Cakes for Cause program?
In the United States, most youth age out of the foster care system at age 18. At that point, they are expected to enter their communities and function self-sufficiently despite increasing evidence that most young people are less than ready to assume these types of adult roles. In 2005, more than 24,000 youth left the foster care system without the support of a permanent family. More than 10% of Maryland’s total foster care population "age out" of the system without a permanent family. According to a Pew research study the statistics for these young people is particularly disheartening—one in four will be incarcerated within two years of leaving foster care, one in five will become homeless, only half will graduate from high school, and less than three percent receive college degrees. Cakes for Cause offers alternatives to these youth—giving them positive options for their future.

Additionally, the social enterprise operated by Cakes for Cause is located in an area of Frederick where 51.8% of families and 25.7% of individuals were living below the poverty level during the last census. The current economic crisis has impacted individuals and families in our community with higher than previously reported levels of request for public assistance with housing, job placement, and other emergency relief. The city and county have each identified expanded economic opportunities as priorities in their long range planning and it is well documented that generational poverty is an issue in federally assisted housing and public housing. Studies have shown that jobs initiatives programs that offer participants support services coupled with vocational training have an increased likelihood of job placement and longer-term job retention. Cakes for Cause has created a jobs initiatives program that is geared specifically to a vulnerable youth population (“age out” foster care and/or public housing recipients) and is designed to address the “hard skills” (vocational training) and “soft skills” (support services) needs of each recipient.

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What specific activities does Cakes for Cause offer to the youth in its program?
Our program is a 6-month program where youth apprentices work for up to 30 paid hours per week in the bakery/café. The major topics in the 6-month period are bakery production (outcomes: proficiency in identified skill areas including cakes, plated desserts, sidework, etc…, completion of recipe binders, working as a team, improvement in quality of product), front-house (outcomes: proficiency in identified skill areas including work appearance, customer/counter service, table service, sidework, etc…, working as a team and with supervisors), and life skills (outcomes: resume and cover letter development, development of appropriate workplace behavior, ability to access additional community services, financial planning, community participation and involvement).The Cakes for Cause program is designed to teach a level of self-discipline that is appropriate in a workplace setting, in a higher-level educational setting, and in the larger community. Perhaps more importantly, though, the program is designed to help youth develop and internalize alternative coping strategies and day-to-day survival skills and behaviors and to develop empathy for others in their community.

If you would like additional information on the Cakes for Cause program or our social enterprise, Moxie Bakery & Café, please send an email to info@cakesforcause.org

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