Michael Platt is a young man with a love of two things . . . the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and cupcakes.
When he was younger, Michael would often spend a lot of time by the “I Have a Dream” poster in his grandparents’ house, thinking of ways he could join the fight against injustice. He started researching and memorizing statistics on income equality and childhood hunger, but was also awestruck by YouTube videos he’d seen of bakers transforming eggs, flour and water into edible works of art.
Then, three years ago when Michael was 11, his parents gave him a pair of Toms shoes for Christmas, who’s business model of one-for-one gifts children in need a pair of shoes for every pair sold.
That’s when he figured out how to combine his two passions . . . start a bakery that operates on the Toms one-for-one model — for every cupcake, cake or cookie Michael sells, one will be donated to the homeless and hungry.
Two times a month, Michael heads to locations like domestic violence shelters, transitional housing, and even out on the streets to pass out the goodies.
Now, at 13, Michael is still running the bakery he founded, Michaels Desserts” (he left out the apostrophe on purpose to show he’s making cupcakes for others and not himself), and particularly enjoys handing out the gifted food to other kids.
He bakes for individual orders, birthday parties, anniversaries, and more, with orders coming in via Facebook or the new website he created.
Admittedly, sometimes Michael grows tired of being in the kitchen, but then he remembers a homeless boy he’d given a cupcake to, and the father later messaging Michael on Facebook about how his son had become encouraged by the 13 year old baker with a big heart and now aspired to become a baker himself.
Michael shares, “That inspired me.”
We’re inspired, too.
(MSN)
