For Goodness Cakes Twin Cities Chapter

On this week’s podcast episode, meet ⁠⁠For Goodness Cakes Twin Cities⁠⁠ chapter co-leads, Carolyn McGovern and Katie Lipe, plus five sprinkle squad volunteer bakers—Audrey Hyatt, Kenzie Taylor, Tiffane Gayle, Tom McGovern, and Emily Beckmann, and two agencies served by the nonprofit—Chris Bernard from Jeremiah Program and Melissa Westphal from Missions Inc.’s Home Free Shelter.

Tune in to Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens season 2 finale, episode 27, wherever you listen to podcasts.

⁠⁠For Goodness Cakes⁠⁠ is a nationwide non-profit organization that gives underprivileged youth the chance to have a birthday celebration by matching volunteers to bake special cakes just for them. To date, there are nearly 30 U.S. chapters and they have hand-delivered more than 32,000 cakes.

Meet the Chapter Co-leads

We begin the episode getting to know Carolyn McGovern and Katie Lipe. They are the co-leaders of the For Goodness Cakes Twin Cities Chapter, a non-profit organization that gives underprivileged youth the chance to have a birthday celebration by matching volunteers to bake special cakes just for them.

Carolyn McGovern

Katie Lipe

Meet the For Goodness Cakes Sprinklers

Since recording this episode a few months ago, the Twin Cities and Cambridge chapters now have 411 active volunteer bakers, 62 agencies, and as of today, they’ve hand-delivered 2,375 cakes…which means a minimum of 2,375 smiles and happy children!

So let’s meet a few members of the sprinkle squad who are spreading joy across the Twin Cities, one cake, one kid, at a time.

Audrey Hyatt 

Audrey Hyatt considers herself an adventurous baker, always willing to try a new recipe, but she also likes to stick with some of her family’s favorites, like the chocolate cake recipe with mayonnaise that one of her mom’s teachers shared with her [mom] back in the 1950s.

Throughout her more than 40-year marketing career, Audrey has sought out volunteer opportunities and last year was a highlight for her as she was able to marry two of her passions together—with the women from her Power of 100 club contributing and donating almost $20,000 to the For Goodness Cakes Twin Cities Chapter.

Kenzie Taylor 

Recent U of M food science grad Kenzie Taylor began volunteer baking four years ago but her love of baking really blossomed during her first job baking at a little local bakery. You can see some of her baking creations on her Instagram which is @kenziespastries⁠⁠.

Tiffane Gayle

If you don’t need a Kleenex at this point in the episode yet, you might need one when you hear Tiffane Gayle’s story about how her volunteer baking brought her full circle to a someone in her past. Having worked many years in the local non-profit sector, Tiffane started volunteering a year ago with first-hand knowledge and appreciation for the work the agencies that For Goodness Cakes sprinklers bake for. 

Tom McGovern

Earlier in the episode, Carolyn talks about the marble run cake that she and her husband Tom McGovern created together. Now he joins me to share about his favorite baking project so far, and why he signed up to be a volunteer baker himself once Carolyn took on co-leader role within the organization.

He’s spent his career in media production and communications, but there’s a creative skill that he learned as a kid that he incorporates into some of his cakes. If you look at the ones below and back up at the cakes under Carolyn, you’ll know what it is.

Emily Beckmann

Emily Beckmann joined For Goodness Cakes in November 2021, right after graduating from U of M. She’s been baking through a few gap years and now she’s in her second year of medical school. Like Kenzie, Emily worked at a local bakery in her hometown where she made and decorated cupcakes.

From Two of the Agencies Served

Katie talks a little about the impact For Goodness Cakes has on the youth who receive the cakes for their special day, but we also wanted you to hear from two agency leaders.

Chris Bernard

Chris Bernard is the family services director for the Jeremiah Program in St. Paul, Minnesota. It’s a 2-generational program that partners with single moms and their kids as mothers go back to school to finish their post-secondary degree. The vision is to disrupt the cycle of poverty two generations at a time. 

Melissa Westphal

As a family youth advocate at the Home Free Women’s Shelter, Melissa Westphal experiences the joy For Goodness Cakes brings to kiddos who have escaped a dangerous environment, but have also left their home.

On This Episode

For Goodness Cakes® is an officially recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Tax ID # 81-10383832118 Wilshire Blvd #826 Santa Monica, CA 90403

⁠⁠⁠https://www.forgoodnesscakes.org⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: @forgoodnesscakestwincities

Jeremiah Program ⁠⁠https://jeremiahprogram.org⁠⁠

Home Free Shelter, Missions Inc. ⁠⁠https://www.missionsinc.org⁠⁠

Lynn’s Cake, Candy & Chocolate Supplies, 7213 University Ave. NE, Fridley, MN 55432 ⁠⁠https://lynnscakeandcandy.com⁠⁠  

If you would like to volunteer, support, donate or connect with the Twin Cities chapter or any of the For Goodness Cakes chapters across the United States, you’ll find them at https://www.forgoodnesscakes.org.

You can also email Carolyn McGovern and Katie Lipe at twincities@forgoodnesscakes.org.

Sweet wishes,