<p>Deciding to make a positive change in the world doesn’t necessarily come with age, as many kids are stepping up to the plate these days in major ways to make a difference in their communities. The latest member of the younger generation worth noting is a 13-year-old baker, whose using his cupcakes to help out the homeless.</p>
<p>Michael Platt is only 13 years old, but he’s already figured out the importance of running a business—and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/04/us/iyw-13-year-old-baker-helps-homeless-trnd/index.html">giving back to those in need</a>. For every cupcake young Michael sells, he gives some to the homeless a few times a month at domestic violence shelters, transitional housing and parks in the Washington area.</p>
<p>Michael’s passion for baking began at the tender age of 11, when he started Michaels Desserts with a clear message that helping others was more important than helping himself. He notes that there is no apostrophe in his business name because “it’s not about him, it’s about others.”</p>
<p>Although his current business model nets a modest profit, Michael explains that his focus is not about money:</p>
<p><em>“I figured there was an easy way to make a business out of something you are passionate about. I knew I was more fortunate than others, so I wanted to give back. I know a cupcake isn&#8217;t going to solve hunger, but everyone deserves something sweet.”</em></p>
<p>Michael passion for baking actually derives from turning a limitation into fuel to push forward, when his family discovered that he was diagnosed with epilepsy—a condition which caused him to be home-schooled.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-50894" src="https://dev.theshaderoom.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Michael-Platt-2.jpg" alt="" width="567" height="394" /></p>
<p>His mother, Danita Platt, believes that baking is what helped her son cope with his diagnosis in the most uplifting way possible:</p>
<p><em>“I have no scientific evidence, but baking has been something he could really zone in on and pull all his mental faculties. He could stand and bake for hours. What I have come to realize through this is all, you just never realize what all is in someone. I think baking came at the right time for him. The epilepsy didn&#8217;t encroach on it, and he was good at it.”</em></p>
<p>Michael’s love for baking can be credited to his grandmother, who he says, “allowed me to help bake a cake for a family gathering one time, I just really liked it, and I fell in love with it overnight.”</p>
<p>Michael’s entrepreneurial spirit, passion for giving back and pure baking talent caught the attention of TV—and he was featured on Food Network’s <em>Kids Baking Championship</em> a few years ago.</p>
<p>As for how you can get your hands (or in this case, your lips) on one of Michael’s in-demand cupcakes—well all you have to do is head over to Facebook and the Michaels Desserts website.</p>
<p>Additionally, Michael teaches baking classes where students are encouraged to donate $30 each, through a partnership with food inequality nonprofit No Kid Hungry. Michaels also has regular bake sales, giving all the proceeds to the charity and other similar groups.</p>
<p>Michael says he lives by the simple Platt family motto, “You&#8217;re not going to solve hunger just from the Platt household, but you can make a dent.”</p>
<p>Let’s salute this young king to continue on his journey!</p>
<p> ;</p>
<p>Roommates, what do you think about young Michael Platt?</p>
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