CRY volunteers exchange baked goods for donations

The sun was at its brightest best, the heat unforgiving, and the people of the city were in for a yummy surprise.

Around 50 volunteers of CRY – Child Rights and You had taken it upon themselves to raise funds for children in CRY-supported project areas by exchanging baked goods for donations.

"I do bake a lot for family and friends.But I had never thought of baking for a social cause. When I read about this initiative on CRY's social media, it didn’t take me time to decide to participate. If my passion for baking can, in any way contribute towards change in the lives of children then it would be just a great combination. I don't think I have enjoyed baking so much earlier," says Arundhati Bhattacharjee, one of the participating bakers. She and around 29 other amateur bakers like her donated about a thousand pieces of baked cakes, cookies and pastries to CRY as part of the ‘Bake for CRY’ initiative conceptualized by a CRY volunteer.

“It wasn’t an easy task of course, getting absolute strangers to donate for a good cause in exchange of baked goods in the scorching heat, but no questions were asked, no complaints were heard, and at the sound of the ripping of the receipt from the receipt books smiles were exchanged, like tiny celebrations of selflessness,” says Mohini Moulik, one of the volunteers spearheading this initiative.

The people of the City of Joy too did not disappoint…some even refused the cupcakes and handed their donation over like random blessings for the children. When years ago, the late CRY founder RippanKapur had said, “What I can do, I must do,” we wonder if he would have imagined it taking shape in this way.