Community Foundation Trustee Karlys Kline learns to pipe meringue with Elin Ross of Cakes for Cause.

Cakes for Cause Fund Opens at Community Foundation

April 25, 2008: A love of baking combined with a sense of social activism are what led Elin Ross to create The Cakes for Cause Fund at The Community Foundation of Frederick County in support of Cakes for Cause, the nonprofit organization she is founding.

The Fund will support start-up costs of Cakes for Cause, a program designed to teach the restaurant business to at-risk youth through a vocational program that combines bakery production and restaurant management in a structured six-month curriculum. Those who participate will be paid a stipend and will receive assistance with follow-up job placement or additional culinary and hospitality education.

Youth in public housing and those who have gone past the age limit for foster care will be given real work experience and learn the skills necessary to have a successful career in the bakery and restaurant business, said Ross. “Our primary goal is to give youth options for their future through vocational services.”

The Cakes for Cause Fund will provide operational support for Cakes for Cause, which will open Moxie, an enterprise bakery/café, in early 2009 at the Frederick City Housing Authority’s new Community Center in the North Market Street area. Plans for Moxie include free wireless Internet and displaying the work of local artists while offering hand-crafted, artisan pastries, cakes, and desserts in fun and funky surroundings, said Ross. Participants will train at Moxie, learning culinary skills and managing the day-to-day operations of a real restaurant.

“The Cakes for Cause Fund at the Community Foundation will allow supporters to make tax-deductible contributions to provide the foundation for Cakes for Cause,” said Ross. “It is an honor for us to have the chance to develop this project in Frederick with so many local partners. The Community Foundation has been very supportive.”

Those who share a commitment to helping at-risk youth through innovative vocational training may make a secure, online donation to The Cakes for Cause Fund.  To do so, click here. Checks made payable to The Community Foundation of Frederick County, may be mailed to 312 East Church Street, Frederick, Maryland 21701. Simply insert The Cakes for Cause Fund in the check’s memo line. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Since 1986, The Community Foundation of Frederick County has partnered with individuals and organizations in creating charitable funds that benefit a variety of causes throughout Frederick County. To date, more than $17 million has been awarded in grants to area nonprofit organizations and in scholarships to students eager to pursue their academic dreams. Additional information about the Community Foundation is available by calling 301.695.7660.