During the government shutdown, Elise Elraies wanted to find a way to help people who were having a difficult time paying bills and mortgages and getting enough food — especially those with children.

She came up with a sweet idea.

“I never imagined a child going without a cake to celebrate a birthday because a family depended on SNAP, or a parent, as a government employee, didn’t receive a salary,” said Elraies, who lives in Metairie. “I knew I had to do something because a birthday is a special occasion.”

Elraies, abaker and cake decorator, took matters into her own hands and decided to bake cakes free of charge for anyone affected by the government closure.

In October, she created a Facebook group called Cakes for Kindness, and the idea took off.

“People immediately responded on the

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