sTORY
Gabriel and Carissa Photography | Gathered Boutique Rentals | charity:water birthday campaign
IT ALL STARTED OUT in fessenden, ND…
My love affair with baking was born in Karla’s kitchen. I wasn’t old enough to recognize my passion, or even to read a recipe card for that matter. But the smells and tastes of Karla’s kitchen were a thrill all their own. Karla DeJong was a second mother to my siblings, and I. Karla’s specialties included chocolate chip cookies, caramel rolls that oozed goodness, crazy chocolate cake, and those almond sugar cookies – there are no words for those sugar cookies. As I got older, Karla and I’s treats began to appear at every birthday party, holiday event, and school function I attended. I loved seeing the faces of my teachers and classmates light up every time I sheepishly delivered a bag of cookies.
I am not sure when my baking hobby turned into a business. But 2006 was the first time that potential revealed itself. I still remember the excitement I felt when my very first Kitchenaid mixer arrived at my doorstep. I was in high school, working a summer job at a chemical + seed sales company. My co-workers and farmer clients were as delighted about the mixer as I was, eating as many sweets as they could handle as I experimented with my new toy. Eventually, the time came for the annual yearbook fundraiser – a pie auction fundraiser (yes, I was the girl that signed up for everything ☺). I knew people liked my cheesecakes; I did not know people would pay $500 for them. But that is exactly what happened! I was blown away.
My cheesecake sales didn’t stop with the yearbook fundraiser. A local restaurant, T-bones, started selling my cheesecakes by the slice any time I was willing to make them. Little did I know, my restaurant cheesecakes would open yet another door. A customer demanded to know who baked the cheesecakes. Before I knew what was happening, at 17, I booked my first gig as wedding dessert caterer - thank you, Michelle and Kelly, for trusting 17-year-old Kayla with your big day! Even then, I never would have guessed that twelve years later I might be baking full time.
Life got busy, and I started college (Go Bison!). Serious baking took a back seat to everything else that comes with college life. That isn’t to say I wasn’t baking – lord knows I had at least a few Turf-dates with a one-hour time cap because something was in the oven. Eventually, a close friend got engaged. I was terrified when she asked me to produce hundreds of cupcakes for her wedding. I hadn’t really baked cupcakes, and certainly not for hundreds of people on one of the biggest days of my friend’s life! I agreed to give it a shot. There were a few trial runs with… “interesting” results, but the final product was a hit. After the wedding, it became regular to see me strolling across campus with a box of goodies to deliver.
I was nineteen. I had just finished my freshman year of college and gotten home from a service learning trip with God’s Child Project in Guatemala. My view of the world had drastically changed. I was starving for an opportunity to make a positive impact on the world. As strong as my love was for baking, I discovered my true passion is for service to others. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, or what life had in store for me, but I knew I wanted to help people. Fast forward a decade, more all-nighters in the kitchen than I care to admit, and nearly $150,000 raised for charity and I am still passionately baking and giving. If I had it my way, every penny of every order would go directly to supporting my favorite charities (if only rent, groceries, and supplies could be paid for with leftover cupcakes, ha!). Giving and serving others is the cornerstone my life pivots around.
This website is the next step in my baking and giving journey. Clean water is something just about all of us take for granted. Try to imagine life without water. One in ten individuals around the world still lack access to life’s most basic need, clean water. Charity:Water is a nonprofit organization making incredible strides in the fight to provide clean and safe water to everyone in the world. Every month a portion of the profits from my baking is donated to Charity:Water. If you want to see a day in your lifetime where every person on the planet has access to clean water, check out The Spring – a determined community of givers from all over the world committed to ending the water crisis.
Charity:Water isn't like most non-profits. Public donations don't pay inflated executive salaries nor do they provide lush offices to those in charge. Every penny of your donation directly funds a clean water project. Every time you make a donation to Charity:Water, you will receive updates that confirm exactly where your money is going. Not only will you know what country your donation is heading to, but you will also receive construction progress reports, GPS coordinates, photographs, and information about the specific community that your donation is helping sustain. In order for the impact to be sustainable, charity:water partners with local organizations who are providing long-lasting water and sanitation services. The people at Charity:Water and their partners are some of the best in the world at what they do. To date, Charity:Water has completed 44,007 projects to provide clean water to over 10 million people.
The gift of clean water immediately and drastically changes lives. Clean water and sanitation programs allow kids to spend more time in school, empower local women, and boost economies. Without the constant threat of the water crisis, entire communities can focus on thriving, rather than merely hoping to survive. Diseases spread through dirty water kill more people each year than all forms of violence. Fortunately, the solution to this crisis is within our reach. The planet has more than enough water. Technology and engineering methods give us the means to control that water. It is simply up to us to help those in need get the water they need. Clean water changes everything.
If there is something you firmly believe in, never be afraid to step up and expand effort for the benefit of others. - Kayla
Random tidbits…
Coffee is my best friend. Bring me coffee and I will love you forever.
I don’t really believe in balance. Our lives are never completely in balance and that’s ok.
I would do absolutely anything in this world for the three sweet souls that know me best as auntie Kayla. Karter + Gabriella + Giordana I’ll be wrapped around your fingers forever.
I recycle every single thing I can usually. I wish everyone would jump on that wagon. We only have this one Earth. I flat out refuse to purchase bottled water, unless I am in another country and don’t have a choice. Something that might be a simple convenience for us creates such an impact on the environment and negatively affects our future generations.
I taught FACS grades 7-12 for one year in the same room I learned from one of my favorite teachers of all time; it was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. I also taught part time Physical Education at an elementary school in Fargo for 2.5 years and it was so enjoyable. I still miss the staff, students, and teachers —- but in August 2020 I decided to take the biggest leap of my life. I’m so thankful for all the incredible people that have become a part of my life through both of those experiences.
I absolutely love to read. Nonfiction, unless we are talking about Harry Potter!
Traveling and meeting new people is such a huge part of my life. Home is truly where my feet are. I have met some of the best mates halfway around this world.
Good friends + family are truly life giving and get me through all the things. I wouldn’t be near the person I am today without their guidance. So many local vendors I adore fall into this category!
I firmly believe that the more you know, the better you do and that the more you give, the more you give.
You. If you are a client of mine, I appreciate you so much. Your order(s) are the only reason why I am able to do something that brings me so much joy. I love creating for you and your support means more to me than you will ever fully realize.
Thank you so much for visiting my little corner of the internet and taking the time to read my story. I will leave you with this – dream big and dare to be bold, live a story that you would want to tell. Find your passion and no matter how long or difficult the journey might seem, put in the work and chase that passion with everything you have. Press on friend, you are loved immensely. YOU ARE THE MAGIC.
XOXO,
Kayla Rae Houchin
