Michigan Teen Opens Bakery, Helps Homeless

Yes, you read that right - she's a teenager.

Layla Wallace is 15-years-old now, but the Kalamazoo resident has always had a soft spot for helping her fellow humans. When she was younger, she used to make her birthday an opportunity for her to volunteer or donate her time to a good cause. Now, she's got her own business to do that.

She told The Gander Newsroom that, when she was in 5th grade, she and her classmates were tasked with creating and marketing a product. Her father was also a small business owner, so she's been inspired for most of her life to do the same.

She created Layla's Cool Pops, a home bakery where she makes cupcakes, cake pops, etc. when she was 9-years-old and donates the proceeds to a food pantry in Kalamazoo.

Recently, during the COVID-19 outbreak, she was able to open up her own storefront in downtown Kalamazoo. In fact, she sold out so fast that her website crashed. She's been doing curbside pickup and catering orders during the pandemic.

In the meantime, she's been posting her daily menus on Facebook and continuing to take orders. Her future goals are to graduate high school and to continue her education in college.

I want to be this young lady when I grow up. LOL. But seriously - I used to start lemonade stands when I was a kid and I even had business cards for my babysitting services. I loved making my own money, and this teen should be an inspiration to everybody.