<p>Vedika Jawa’s mission to sweeten the lives of those in need began when she was just 13, on a family trip to San Francisco. She could not help but see the multitudes living on the streets.</p>
<p>She returned home to Fremont, California, determined to help. Reaching out to homeless shelters, she offered to bake sweet treats. Some managers ignored her; others told her to come back when she was older. But she persisted. </p>
<p>Jawa organized a neighborhood bake sale, collected ingredients in her school and contacted a shelter’s CEO, who eventually allowed her to bake for residents. That was the start of <a href="http://bake4sake.org/">Bake4Sake</a>, her student-run nonprofit that distributes desserts to those in need. </p>
<p>During the pandemic, the project expanded from a handful of friends who helped her bake in her hometown to more than 100 volunteers who now work with 15 homeless shelters in 10 locations across the United States.</p>
<p>“Even though these people get access to meals from food banks and shelters, they often don’t have access to desserts,” said Jawa, now a 16-year-old high school junior .</p>
<p>“We know that they’re going through a really difficult time at this moment. And so, we just want to add a little bit of joy in their lives and show them that they’re cared for and loved.”</p>
<p>At the onset of the pandemic, her work seemed to come to a halt. Some shelters could no longer take the baked goods because they needed to follow regulations to curb the spread of COVID-19.</p>
<p>But she didn’t let it stop her. Through the local food bank <a href="http://southhaywardparish.org/">South Hayward Parish</a>, she eventually was allowed to deliver the desserts. She also created an Instagram Bake4Sake account, hoping to find more volunteers. </p>
<p>“Instead of just getting responses from my classmates, I actually started getting responses from high schoolers in different states, in different cities," she said. </p>
<p>Now, she hopes that even more people will be encouraged to join her project and open their own chapters of Bake4Sake at a time when illness, job loss and business closures across America have caused a food insecurity crisis. </p>
<p>“So many people have lost their loved ones due to this pandemic. So many people have lost their jobs,” Jawa said. “We think that a simple act of kindness can go a long way for someone who is facing such a difficult time.” </p>
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<p>“One Good Thing” is a series that highlights individuals whose actions provide glimmers of joy in hard times — stories of people who find a way to make a difference, no matter how small. Read the collection of stories at <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/one-good-thing">https://apnews.com/hub/one-good-thing</a></p>
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<p>Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through The Conversation U.S. The AP is solely responsible for this content.</p>
