Generous Minded Spring ’26

Giving back takes many forms, and for Youjin Choi ’26 and sisters Julia Oh ’26 and Anna Oh ’28, it shows up as baking. The girls have channeled their love for making sweet treats into helping people in need.

ICING ON THE CAKE

Youjin Choi has been baking since she could reach the kitchen counter. As a young child, she’d look on while her sister, who is nine years older, baked and invited Youjin occasionally to mix the ingredients.

Youjin grew to love baking herself but by high school, she found it more challenging to find the time.

“I wanted motivation to build it into my schedule along with school,” she says. That’s how she discovered two nonprofits—Icing Smiles her sophomore year and Cake4Kids her junior year—whose missions are to bring joy through baked goods.

Icing Smiles enlists “sugar angels” like Youjin to bake and ship treats to families impacted by a critically ill child.

Cake4Kids is a national nonprofit that recruits volunteer bakers across the country to bake and deliver cakes, cupcakes, and cookies to local youth at risk for poverty, including those in foster care, homeless shelters, and low-income housing.

Through both volunteer efforts, Youjin has discovered the joy of giving though food. “I love making people happy with my desserts—it’s really fulfilling,” she says.

One project for Cake4Kids that made a particularly lasting impact: a Minnie Mouse cake for a little girl living in a homeless shelter.

“The girl was sitting in the lobby with her mom waiting for me with such anticipation,” she recalls. “In that instance, I really felt like I was serving my community and these children by making something for their special day.”

Youjin understands firsthand the power of confectionary mood-boosters—she turns to melonpan from a local Japanese bakery to lift her spirits on a tough day—and takes heart knowing she’s brightening these children’s days.

“I feel so happy being able to provide that for others who might not be able to afford it,” she says. Indeed, volunteering has opened Youjin’s eyes to those less fortunate.

“When I go to low-income neighborhoods, it’s a wake-up call about the wealth disparity in Boston,” she says. “That gives me even more motivation to help others.”

MISSION ORIENTED

When Julia and Anna Oh would volunteer with their church, Grace Fellowship, to serve meals at L Street Mission, they noticed that desserts were popular.

But when the pandemic hit and they had to stop volunteering in person, they heard from members of their church community that the bakery chains supplying the desserts had ceased donating.

The sisters were already doing a lot of baking at home to pass the time during the pandemic and decided to donate a few batches of cookies each month to the ministry, which serves the unhoused population in Brockton, Massachusetts.
“It sort of grew from there,” says Julia.

In April 2020, Julia and Anna launched Sweets for L Street. They bake and donate about 100 desserts per month and to date, have gifted more than 7,000 treats to L Street.

Once a month, the girls designate a baking day, to which they invite others to help. Thanks to Parents Independent School Network awards, Julia and Anna purchase supplies including bulk ingredients and packaging.

“We think everyone deserves a sweet treat,” says Anna. “A cookie or a cupcake might seem really insignificant, but baking a homemade treat really lets them know we care.”

“[Desserts] aren’t a necessity,” Julia continues, “but sharing food really shows humanity and makes it feel more like a family and a community.”

Anna points to Winsor as an inspiration for Sweets for L Street. From books in English class to assemblies, “they encourage generosity and caring for people who are different from us.”

Julia and Anna continue to feel inspired, thanks to the support they’ve received and the feeling they get from serving others.
“We really enjoy connecting with our community and giving back,” says Julia. ●