Cake4Kids Marks 100,000th Cake With 231 Napa and Sonoma Bakers

Cake4Kids, a nonprofit organization founded in Sunnyvale in 2010 by Libby Gruender that bakes and delivers custom birthday cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and brownies to underserved youth up to age 22, delivered its 100,000th cake this year across 28 chapters nationwide, according to a profile reported in Napa Valley Marketplace Magazine.

In the North Bay, Paula Simon serves as Ambassador for the Napa and Sonoma Chapter. After moving to Napa and discovering at a volunteer fair five years ago that Cake4Kids did not yet operate locally, Simon worked with the organization's staff to establish the Napa chapter before taking on leadership of the Sonoma County chapter as well.

231 Registered Volunteer Bakers and 15 Napa Partner Agencies

Across the two North Bay counties, 231 volunteer bakers are registered with the organization, including 85 bakers in Napa County — 40 of whom have baked so far this year — and 146 bakers in Sonoma County.

In Napa County, Cake4Kids collaborates with 15 partner social service agencies that submit requests for youth in foster care, group homes, shelters, and low-income support programs. Participating Napa County partner organizations include:

• Cope Family Center and Voices Youth Center
• Napa County Child Support Services and Napa County Health and Human Services

In addition to birthday cakes, Cake4Kids volunteers bake celebratory treats for graduations, adoptions, and other milestones. Youth select their preferred cake flavor, frosting, theme, and decorations, and each creation is personalized with the recipient's first name. To protect privacy, volunteers receive only the youth's first name and age and deliver the boxed cake directly to the partner agency rather than meeting the recipient in person.

Volunteer Commitments and Upcoming Baking Events

Volunteers cover the cost of ingredients, decorating supplies, and cake boxes themselves, spending an average of about $65 and 4 to 6 hours per cake. There is no minimum annual baking quota beyond completing at least one bake within two months of joining.

Volunteer baker Mariann Davis, who has baked 66 cakes over 4 years with Cake4Kids, noted that while some bakers craft elaborate themed cakes such as dragon designs, many children request simple favorites like cookies and cream cupcakes. The Napa and Sonoma chapter also hosts an annual cookie drive, baking competitions, and community events at venues such as Winston's Cafe in Napa; further information and volunteer orientations are available at cake4kids.org.