Cakes for Cause Receives $8,000 Grant from The Frederick Giving Project Fund

Karlys Kline, Community Foundation Trustee; Meredith Welty, Outreach Coordinator, Frederick Giving Project; Melissa Sines, Co-Founder, Frederick Giving Project; Elin Ross, Founder, Cakes for Cause; Rebecca Southers, Co-Founder, Frederick Giving Project.

Frederick, MD – February 28, 2011: Cakes for Cause recently received an $8,000 grant from The Frederick Giving Project Fund, a component fund of The Community Foundation of Frederick County. This grant will be used to support Cakes for Cause apprenticeship program.

Cake for Cause, a local nonprofit organization, operates Moxie Bakery and Café located on the corner of Market and 7^th Streets in Frederick. Six-month apprenticeships are offered to at-risk youth who have aged out of foster care or who live in public housing in the community. The program teaches basic culinary and food service proficiency, providing marketable skills for the participant. The cost for each youth apprenticeship is approximately $7,000-$9,000.

“We started Cakes for Cause to help young people who are at-risk successfully transition to adulthood with the self-esteem and sense of accomplishment that comes from being part of something bigger than yourself,” said Elin Ross, Cakes for Cause Founder and Executive Director. “We thank the Frederick Giving Project for their generous support of our efforts.”

The grant is the first-ever from The Frederick Giving Project Fund. In addition to the grant, members of The Frederick Giving Project will volunteer their time to provide technical assistance to help Cakes for Cause build capacity and support service projects over the next year. “Cakes for Cause and The Frederick Giving Project share the same ideals of service – youthful entrepreneurship and building community,” said Rebecca Southers, Co-Founder of The Frederick Giving Project. “We are pleased to partner with Cakes for Cause to provide opportunity for youth and adults alike.”

Formed in 2009, The Frederick Giving Project is a giving circle with the goal of increasing impact in the community through collective efforts, including monetary donations, but also through volunteering time, talent, and professional expertise. Members are primarily young professionals who each donate $100 annually. By joining together financially and participating in events and fundraisers, maximum impact is achieved.

To learn more about Cakes for Cause and its social enterprise, Moxie Bakery and Café, visit www.cakesforcause.org. Additional information about The Frederick Giving Project can be found at www.frederickgivingproject.org.

The Frederick Giving Project Fund is one of more than 600 component funds of the Community Foundation.  The funds support human services, faith based organizations, the arts, environmental causes, historic preservation efforts, health care providers, animal welfare groups, educational institutions, scholarship programs, and other civic causes that benefit Frederick County.  Click here to make a secure online donation to The Frederick Giving Project Fund. Checks made payable to The Community Foundation of Frederick County may be mailed to 312 East Church Street, Frederick, Maryland, 21701, with the name of the specific fund on the memo line. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. For additional information about the Community Foundation, please call 301.695.7660.