Our first volunteer spotlight shines on our founding baker, Emily Shaw!
Emily hadn’t quite had the idea for Columbus Cake Celebrations when she bought her first cake for someone she didn’t know in January 2022. When the boy’s mom expressed a need in an unrelated Facebook group, our founder saw an opportunity to help. She reached out to the little boy’s mom who said he liked Iron Man, so Emily ordered an Iron Man cake from Walmart. She said “in my mind it was a small act of kindness, but I then realized that the impact went further than I had initially thought.” One week later, the boy’s mom contacted Emily again, thanking her for the gift, explaining her son had been talking all week about someone being nice enough to get him a cake. From this, the seed of Columbus Cake Celebrations was planted. Emily knew there was some way she could help other kids in this situation, and after some thoughtful contemplation, Columbus Cake Celebrations bloomed as a Facebook group and took its first “official” request in May 2022!
Brought to Ohio from Missouri by her Master’s degree in Human Nutrition at Ohio State, Emily’s work takes her all over the USA, and she loves traveling and seeing new places. She says her favorite area of the country (besides Columbus, of course) is the Southwest… “anywhere with desert and mountains!” Emily has never worked with a baking group before, but has always enjoyed baking as a hobby. She also enjoys anything related to dogs, and has a 5 year old boxer/pit mix named Sophie. Emily fosters through Columbus Dog Connection as well, so often her home has another dog to love temporarily, while it’s waiting for its forever home. In addition to dogs, Emily and her boyfriend like camping, hiking, and going to festivals and concerts together.
When asked her favorite birthday memory, she said that in her middle school days, her father took her to Six Flags St. Louis. It was her first time riding a roller coaster–and she loved it. She still remembers her favorite ride, the “Batman,” which at the end of the day, when the park began to clear out, she and her dad were able to ride over and over. “It felt like me and my dad were the only ones there. We stayed until the park closed.” After going to Steak & Shake for dinner and milkshakes, they headed home. She says “I remember sitting in the car on the way home, still feeling the sensation of the roller coasters as we drove over small hills and bumps in the road.”
Emily, thank you for sharing that beautiful memory, and for all your hard work for us!
10/1/2022 J. deVries