Hi guys,
I am trying to get more orders so I decided to bake a cake for my local fire department and for the staff at my son's school. Well, on yesterday we took the cake to the fire department. I told them that I was a local cake decorator and that the cake was an appreciation gift for a job well done and they gave me the strangest look. Like is the cake poison kind of look. LOL!! I also gave them some of my flyers.
Well, same thing happened this morning when my fiance took the cake to my son's school for the staff. Before he could finish his sentence one of the staff members said that they could not accept it and what did he want her to do with it? He then told her that what he was saying that it was a way of me saying I appreciate all the hard work that they have done for my son. She then replied that she had to go and get the principal. He had to explain the whole scenario to her as well. Then the principal says oooooooooo, ok, thank you so much and took the cake into the staff break room.
Do people not understand what appreciation or free cake means nowadays?
What do you think? I also attached the pictures.
Well, I think it's a couple of things. First, yes, people are not used to being appreciated and random acts of kindness. Second, people are more cautious about accepting food from someone they don't know, especially in a school setting. If you were a store-front business they would've heard of or seen before, that'd be one thing, but just some unknown person who comes in off the street... I think in the future, I'd make arrangements in advance, establish some type of relationship, before trying to deliver a cake, to be sure their rules would allow them to accept it and they wouldn't be caught off guard. Just call ahead and ask if they can accept such a donation and when would be a good time. For schools, go thru the PTA/PTO; they usually have staff appreciation weeks where they organize such donations.
It's a nice thing to do and I'm sure they would appreciate it, I just think people are more wary these days. There have been incidents of angry students or parents donating Ex-lax or marijuana laced goodies to teachers, for example.
There was a teenager here that as part of some kind of volunteer thing he was doing he took a batch of cookies to the police department as a thank you. They were suspicious so they had one tested and arrested the kid b/c they came back positive for a drug. Well, the kid swore he didn't do anything to those cookies and that they were just a thank you. Another test was done and that time the test was negative. The first test was a false positive but that poor kid spent a few days in jail and was facing some pretty serious charges. It's gotten to where you can't do things like that just to be kind. It's sad but true.
We have a city wide ban on baked goods being delivered to any public service department.
I know a captain here in town and her ex husband is also an officer so if I want to take anything in I do it when they are on duty. I'm known there now so I am sure if I went in with out either there they would accept it.
When I taught in California (pre 9/11/2001) I used to encourage my students to practice outside of class and donate them to police/fire/ambulance etc but now I don't because we can't.
I also know the local fire stations because one is across from my son's school and we are there looking at the trucks and they give him tours so if I showed up there with a bakery box I doubt they would turn me away.
The one at the end of our street is always in Albertson's when we are and they all know my son by name because he has to shake their hand and thank them for the job they do keeping us safe and he introduces himself to all of them each time which in turn they know me. One of them saw me in a black chef's coat awhile back coated in frosting splatter and commented on me being a baker and we traded secrets. I told him that I'd love to donate my demo cakes from teaching to them but knew I couldn't and he did the "pshaw" sound and said that's for random people because times have changed. We know you, your son, and your intent and where it comes from. Drop one by any time. So I took some cupcakes over that afternoon and met the stations big boss. He said just not to spread the word because they can't take from "just anyone".
The PD hardly gets anything because they are across town and with metered parking, two kids in tow and a cake to juggle I don't take the time.
The FD is on the way home from the store and I can pull in and you see faces throught he window straining to see what it is.
My next C3 is going to be a stacked cake with flames and fireman cut outs. 
Needless to say if there's ever a response needed to my house I can guarantee there will be some fine looking firemen responding faster than any neighbor could and that is exactly how I like it.
If you want to donate your cakes to the fd and ambulances find out when the monthly meeting is go introduce yourself. You can do this to the chief or the whole department. I am sure once they get to know you they will take your goodies! Hey maybe you or your hubby might join!
We take cookies to our local police dept every Christmas. The first time we took them they were very surprised. They said it was very rare that people were thanking them (= I usually have all the kids with me, so that's probably why they weren't so suspicious.
People are just suspicious these days...rightly so. Random acts of kindness dont usually come without strings attached these days.
Sorry it didn't work out the way you thought. It was was thoughtful of you. Maybe wait until an appreciation week or perhaps a gift for the teachers who know you etc.
Hubby recently had a serious anthrax scare at work. Since then I've had to be careful walking in with powdered sugar as a decoration in the event it falls onto a counter and is left there after the cupcakes are gone type scenario.
We know our cakes for thanks are safe but they have no idea and have to think the worst case scenario because we no longer live in the 1950's where these things were unfathomable back then. We are in 2008 where these types of things are not only a reality but a daily occurance across the nation and world.
In my development we have 3 State Troopers and I was saying I wanted to make a cake for the fire Department here but they said not to because anytime they get stuff at Police station they accept it and say thank you but they throw it out. They say they don't know these people and do not know what people put in them. They said they have seen some crazy stuff. It is sad that you are trying to do a good deed and they look at you at you like you are crazy.
Kara
I've done this a few times, I took one to our kids peds office because they are a nice group of people and I love the doctors, the one doctor told me it was so good, he compared it to a 'real' bakery cake! I also have taken a few to a local used bookstore. We go to the bookstore at least once or twice a month and they're always so nice! It's all volunteer work too there and the books are dirt cheap. lol-they have actually become my willing guinea pigs for when I want to try something new!!
A lot of schools can't by law take in anything that isn't packaged from a licensed food service business (aka the grocery store). Even tougher are the schools who can't have sweets come in at all. Since it was for the staff I'm sure it was different, but they really can't take it in sometimes if will be for the kids.
Unfortunately I can understand the un-easiness of your local law enforcement/emergency service offices too. It's sad, but we live in a time where police and fire departments have to worry about being made sick from angry people.
It stinks that your acts of good will can't be taken at face value without getting the looks that say "ummmm.. thanks but I'm not eating that". But the have to think of their safety.. the one time they let their guard down could be the cake/cookies that were laced with something.
I'm on the lucky side of life with this because I have a business that is licensed.
I leave my business card with them and it brings in business.
Any time I leave my cake at a public service office they first ask "where did this come from" and then a business card for that location.
I have to explain often that it's from a licensed bakery just out of my home and that I am inspected just like a real one.
Once they realize I'm for real with a real business they are just fine with it. I also leave post cards with a picture of the cake and a 5 question questionaire about the cake. It says on the bottom "With placing your next order please mention you have a feedback card and I will make a dozen cupcakes for free for you."
Did I mention that police officers love cupcakes more than doughnuts in my area?
Yep...that's how it is here too. We can't send homemade baked goods to our kids classes anymore either. They have to be store bought and in the original package. I guess if you really think about it...some houses are cleaner than others and I know that I wouldn't want my child to eat a cupcake from someone who baked them while 3 dogs and two cats ran around the kitchen. 
Just my opinion.
Wow times has really changed. I only donate to people I already have a relationship with and then ask if they know someone.
Try being on the otherside of that and having to tell a parent, no I'm sorry you cannot bake cupcakes with your child for their birthday. You have to go to a store and buy them because we cannot accept anything homemade anymore!! It broke my heart one day when a mom told me she was bringing cupcakes for her child's bday, and when she showed up to school with obviously homemade cupcakes, my principal told her she could not serve them (she just happened to be in the lunchroom at the time).
it stinks -- but with allergies and scares on what people will do to others nowadays, everyone is suspicious.
The only places I have taken donations to were places I already had a working relationship with (vet, hair salon, etc.) or places that I had made prior arrangements with to bring in a freebie. I have drummed up a fair amount of paid business that way. I would have to agree with everyone else--the times we live in have made us all very cautious. Just make some prior arrangements, and I bet things will go smoother. Best of luck! 
It's really sad now a days that you can't just bake something and take it to somebody for appreciation. I hate that is has come to this but it is getting to where you can't trust anyone. My son has recently started school and I was so excited to volunteer for parties and such so I could practice making cakes and cookies. But, they informed me that if I brought anything like that, it had to be store bought and still wrapped up. It's a shame, no one can be trusted anymore. 
What's worse about the "store bought" versus "homemade" stuff for schools was that when my sons were in school (now 18,19,21,23) the homemade stuff was always snapped up first by the kiddos. Maybe the ONLY time they got something that was not a pre-packaged Oreo. They "pooled" items from the 5 classes, and served the 100 kids. One sone was in "vandiver's" class, and alphabetically, they were called last. He would be so bummed, that things I made would be gone before he got there.
<sigh> I understand though- a sign of the times-- Ozzie and Harriet are dead. <sigh>
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