Volunteer bakers, donations needed to fulfill birthday cake wishes of underprivileged children

Cake4Kids is in need of volunteers and donations as it prepares for the busier fall months. 

The non-profit organization provides cakes for underprivileged children who may not normally receive a cake for special occasions. 

“We not oly bake cakes for the birthdays and graduations, but certainly as holidays come up if the agencies have a need they’re going to throw some parties or a fundraiser, we’ll also bake for those occasions as well,” said Ray Biller, Ambassador for the Coachella Valley Cake4Kids chapter. 

Cake4Kids works with several partner agencies that deliver homemade cakes directly to children, after they are baked entirely for free by volunteers. 

These agencies include Olive Crest, CFLC Sheltering Palms Foster Family Agency, Barbara Sinatra Children's Center, The Boys and Girls Club in Cathedral City, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Desert, among others. 

“In earlier years in my career I worked with at-risk youth, with children in disadvantaged homes and communities, so I felt I’ve been missing that and this was a perfect opportunity for me to connect with them and give back,”said Elizabeth Campos, a volunteer baker with Cake4Kids. 

The non-profit launched locally in March 2022 and has been well-received since then, according to Ray Biller, Ambassador for the Coachella Valley Cake4Kids chapter. 

“When I first started seeing if there was really a need out here in the valley I wasn’t quite sure what I’d find, but I was a little overwhelmed by what we discovered,” said Biller. 

“I discovered that 60% of the kids in the school districts out here in the valley live underneath the poverty line,” he added. 

Cake4Kids is holding its first fundraiser in the Coachella Valley on Wednesday, August 17 at One Eleven Bar in Cathedral City. Anyone interested in the event is invited to attend.