Michael Platt, a 13-year-old boy, is giving cupcakes to the homeless, several times every month, at transitional housing, parks, and domestic violence shelters in the area of Washington.
This effort it’s a blend of his two biggest passions in life- baking and fighting inequality. Today, baking is also a business for him.
The boy recalls figuring out that it must be easy to make a business from something that you love and that you’re genuinely passionate about. He was aware that he was more fortunate than others so he decided to give back in his own unique way.
The Story of the Young Baker
At the age of 11, Michael opened up his bakery, Michaels Desserts. There’s no apostrophe there because as the boy says ‘it’s not about him, it’s about others’.
The bakery works on a ‘one for one’ model, i.e. whenever he sells a cupcake, he bakes another one and gives it to the homeless. This business model brings a modest profit; however, as the boy says, it’s not about the money.
Even though he’s aware that a cupcake won’t put an end to hunger, he believes everyone deserves something sweet.
Baking Is His Passion, but also His Salvation
Baking is more than a passion for the young boy- it’s also helping him. Namely, a couple of years back, the boy was diagnosed with epilepsy and because of the strength of the seizures; his parents decided to homeschool him.
Danita Platt, his mother, recalls this was a very challenging period for the boy and his family. He underwent a lot of medical tests before being diagnosed.
She explains that the boy was very active- the kind who will go out and climb trees and then come back all dirty on the hands and clothes. Therefore, things weren’t easy.
But, baking come to the rescue.
Though they’re not sure why, they explain that baking helped their boy to zone in, focus, and even bake for hours. And, it was love at first sight. The boy remembers his grandmother teaching him to bake a cake for a family gathering.
He really enjoyed helping her and fell in love right away.
His mother explained that baking came through for him and the epilepsy didn’t encroach on it, plus, the boy was good at it and made yummy cakes.
She says that she can’t recall if he made something that wasn’t delicious.
Caring Spirit + Entrepreneurship
His mother points out that the boy is successful at this business because he always had an entrepreneurial spirit and a caring soul- he always cares deeply for other people, particularly for those that don’t have too much.
The boy’s talents haven’t been limited to his bakery and home only- he also competed in the Kids Baking Championship on the Food Network at the age of 11. He remembers the experience being a lot of fun and an opportunity to meet a lot of other amazing young bakers.
How Does His Bakery Work?
The young baker receives orders through Facebook or through his website.
On a monthly basis, he sells around 75 cupcakes and around 25 other treats, which also means he’s making around 100 cupcakes to hand out to the homeless.
He also works together with non-profit food inequality organizations like No Kid Hungry and teaches free baking classes at which the students are encouraged to donate $30 each.
Sources:
