Richmond resident Kelly Hudson likes to make cupcakes, a lot of them.
She is not doing this for herself, but to help people and animals in her community.
On the weekends, Hudson often has special guests — people with developmental disabilities — visiting her to make cupcakes together.
“I was introduced to Kudoz, a platform where people provide opportunities for those with developmental disabilities, to engage in the community and communicate with others.
“I like baking and talking, and thought it would be nice to share my cupcake experience with others.”
Hudson would spend one and a half hours with her visitors, decorating cupcakes and chatting. In the end, the guests will take six cupcakes home.
“I prepare the icing and sprinkles with the colours they like and make the cupcakes into the patterns of characters they like,” said Hudson.
“The girl who came last Sunday really likes kitty cats, so we made kitty cat cupcakes,” she recalled.
Some guests don’t like to talk, or are not interested in decorating cupcakes. In those cases Hudson would decorate the cupcakes for them and “try to create some conversation along the way.”
“I haven’t dealt with many people that have developmental disabilities before. This has opened up my eyes to a different area of life that I haven’t been exposed to.”
“I really enjoy it, and I truly hope they will learn something from this experience.”
Hudson started helping the community with her cupcakes three years ago, when she became a volunteer of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)’s “Cupcakes to the Rescue” campaign.
“I received an email from SPCA for the ‘Cupcakes’ fundraising two years ago,” said Hudson, who works as a mortgage broker.
“I’m interested in helping animals and I like to make cupcakes, so it’s ideal for me to do both of them.”
“Then I got into it in a very big way, making hundreds and hundreds of cupcakes,” she laughed.
She soon became the top fundraiser of the program in Canada, making 400 cupcakes last year and 700 this year, in chocolate and lemon flavour. A dozen cupcakes can raise about $50.
She makes all the cupcakes at home and stores them in her freezer— sometimes in her neighbours’ since hers gets full quickly.
“ I sent out emails to people I know and asked them ‘do you want cupcakes? I will make them for you.’ They would come to my house to pick up the cupcakes and drop off a donation for the charity.”
“I feel good about giving back to my community.”
