Let Them Eat Cake: Teen Nonprofit Makes Sure No Birthday Goes Uncelebrated

Alexandria, VA – Shaan Nagda is a busy senior at West Potomac High School. In addition to advanced academic studies, he runs cross country in the fall, indoor track and swim in the winter, and outdoor track in the spring. And he’s also running something else: his own nonprofit, Cake A Difference.

As Nagda’s nonprofit website explains, “The mission at Cake A Difference is to provide joy and memories to children dealing with food insecurity by providing them with a birthday cake. Every child deserves to be celebrated on their birthday regardless of circumstances.”

Nagda had begun volunteering in West Potomac’s food pantry as a freshman and realized how prevalent food insecurity was in the community. “I started doing some food drives, and worked with the school administration to revitalize the pantry. Seeing the difference that was making with food insecurity was really inspiring,” he said. “After speaking with some students who were directly feeling that insecurity, I wanted to extend the impact in a bigger way.”

One day Nagda saw a video of a birthday party for a child who had been adopted from Africa. “He was receiving a birthday cake for the very first time, and he was crying tears of joy. It was a really moving video,” said Nagda, who felt compelled to act.

Combining his volunteer work in food insecurity with seeing this boy’s emotional reaction to a birthday cake was an a-ha moment for Nagda. And Cake A Difference was born. “Obviously cakes aren’t meant to give nourishment like food,” said Nagda. “But if you’re dealing with food insecurity, you’re likely not enjoying a simple birthday cake. So those two things sparked the idea and I moved forward with it.”

A family friend who works at a local school helped Nagda define and implement the mission of Cake A Difference (CAD). Nagda contacted local elementary schools, and the first school that used Cake A Difference was his alma mater, Waynewood Elementary School. That home base offered a soft launch to work out operational logistics with just a few cakes. Waynewood Principal Katie Cachine recommended CAD to other elementary school principals, lending credibility for the fledgling program. Three schools responded, and Cake A Difference was on the rise. Now they needed lots more cakes.

Nagda sought advice from his parents, and they wondered if neighbors would be willing to volunteer. Sure enough, some parents, teens, and college kids started baking and delivering cakes. “Then I called local bakeries. Our biggest helper is Hollin Hall Pastry Shop – they have been making the cakes and donating them to us,” said Nagda. They’re averaging 30 to 40 free cakes per year.

“When Shaan asked if we’d consider donating celebration cakes to kids that didn’t have the resource, we didn’t hesitate,” said Hollin Hall Pastry Shop Manager Crystal Hernandez. “We hope to bring a spark of happiness in each child’s life.”

Nagda and his father completed the substantial paperwork to file for 501(c)(3) status. They always saw this as an official nonprofit for both the legitimacy and the possibility to expand the program. “I’ve had people reach out to start a similar program, even as far as Texas,” said Nagda. When he goes to college next year, he plans to run a new chapter wherever he lands. He already has the team in place to continue the program here in Alexandria.

How does Nagda feel about doing all this? “It just feels great. I did make one delivery to a student’s home, and it was a really wholesome experience to see the child’s reaction in person. I felt like what we were doing really mattered.”

To learn more about Cake A Difference, to donate, or to bake a cake for them, visit https://www.cake-a-difference.org/.