by Gus C. Baxter

Birthdays are a time to uplift those celebrating and remind them how special they are.

Jaime Lehman, founder of For Goodness Cakes headquartered in Los Angeles, had her lightbulb moment through a close friend. “When I was about 22 years old, I learned that one of my friends had never had their birthday celebrated and it made me realize that maybe there might be other children who have never had their birthday celebrated.” The foster system houses about 400,000 youths annually and it was here that Lehman saw her opportunity to spread love. Beginning in 2016, Lehman created a network of volunteers to bake birthday cakes for at risk and underprivileged youth and young adults. The goal of this organization, through the love and support of its volunteers, is to see that no one is forgotten and everyone gets to celebrate their birthday. 

Amanda Fierro and Jennifer Malec, two elder care social workers in Riverdale, connected over their love of baking. This pair soon discovered For Goodness Cakes and agreed that this is a wonderful non-profit to volunteer for. “Every child deserves to be celebrated,” Malec said. However, there was no New Jersey chapter at that time. After exploring the start-up process and what will be required of them, Fierro and Malec knew exactly what they had to do. 

Starting the process in New Jersey, Fierro and Malec set the foundation for the North Jersey chapter. Then, right before the Covid shutdown in 2020, they flew out to Los Angeles and completed their orientation. Newly accepted as the heads of the North New Jersey chapter, Fierro and Malec joined the ranks of 9 other established chapters around the country, with an additional 14 more chapters opening throughout this year. 

This next part of the story is something we all share. Covid hit and it put For Goodness Cakes North Jersey on hold. As a volunteer-based organization, the health of their volunteers, agency workers, and youth are the utmost priority. Under strict guidelines from HQ in California, For Goodness Cakes North Jersey opened its doors in October 2020. “All volunteer bakers are required to take a food safety course, complete with a graded test at the end. This is 100% virtual,” Fierro said. These measures were put in place to ensure that everyone’s health and safety are being considered while they share their love with these amazing youths. 

The volunteer bakers are the heart and soul of For Goodness Cakes. These men and women go through the orientation and food safety course offered online and are then welcomed into the For Goodness Cakes family, the Sprinkle Squad! Each Sprinkle Squad member has access to the ledger of cake requests and can sign up for what they can accomplish. “It warms their heart to give a gift that’s so appreciated,” Malec said. In fact, the New Jersey chapter is so full of love and support with over 150 bakers from our community, that Fierro and Malec are constantly reaching out to new agencies to partner with and find new birthdays to celebrate. “It’s not a bad problem to have,” Fierro said. “The number of volunteers speaks to the ease of use.”

If you are an agency, a volunteer, or simply want to donate, all information can be found on their website, www.ForGoodnessCakes.org. For Goodness Cakes North Jersey welcomes bakers of all skill levels. “Do you need to make a six-tier Cake-Boss cake? No! It can be from a box, with canned frosting, as long as it’s made with love,” Fierro said. This is an opportunity to spread love and joy in the community, whether you are Martha Stewart or Betty Crocker. The only requirement is to fill each cake with love. 

Fierro and Malec intend to grow For Goodness Cakes North Jersey to serve as much of New Jersey as possible. Working in the field of social work, both Fierro and Malec are knowledgeable about the foster care system in New Jersey. “Foster care youth can move between counties as necessary based on availability. More chapters allows for full coverage and entitles everyone to celebrate their birthday,” Fierro said.

Over the summer, For Goodness Cakes is running a fundraiser on Bonfire.com. Represent your chapter with cute merch, “Sprinkle Squad” tees and sweatshirts, and summer tanks to keep you cool. All funds go towards the rapid expansion of this organization, allowing them to expand their network and help more youth celebrate their birthdays. 

Find more information and ways to join For Goodness Cakes North Jersey at www.forgoodnesscakes.org/northjersey.