At a recent Plymouth Lions Club meeting, we got a tip about the 100 percent-donated birthday cakes provided to Home Free women’s shelter, so we did a little digging and discovered “the cake lady,” so humble she still refuses to step in front of the camera for this story. Luckily, she’s sharing her cakes with us and others.
Plymouth Magazine (PLM): What motivated you to start making birthday cakes?
Kathleen St. Martin (KSM): I read in a magazine someone made cakes in another state, and I thought it was a good idea. I talked it over with the directors of Home Free, and the very next day they called for the first cake.
PLM: Do you make the cakes from scratch?
KSM: I use a cake mix. A fellow Lions Club member gets cake mixes for a discount and the club absorbs the cost of the mix and frosting. I supply the oil, water and eggs. I can also make them from scratch for people with allergies.
PLM: How many cakes have you made?
KSM: I haven’t kept track. I’ve been doing it for 13 years making an average of one cake per week, so hundreds.
PLM: How many people help you?
KSM: Mostly it falls on me, but my daughter Kennedy is a good helper. If I’m out of town or if I’m sick I have friends who are my on-call cake makers.
PLM: Why continue to do this?
KSM: It’s a small thing—as parents we like to make a big deal out of birthdays for our kids. People are having birthdays go by without a lot of fanfare. I saw a need, and with help we’ve been able to fill it.
