MANILA, Philippines – Looking for a sweet treat while helping a cause?

As a way of giving back to the community, online bakeshop Minikkins will be marking its first month in business by donating two weeks of its profits to help child abuse survivors.

All of its profits from May 25 to June 7 will go to the partners of Tugon Ateneo, a student organization advocating against child sexual abuse and abandonment.

These partners are 3 orphanages and 4 girls’ homes that are providing shelter and rehabilitation for children who have been sexually abused, abandoned, and neglected.

“Sadly, due to the ongoing pandemic, much-needed donations (both monetary and in-kind) have steadily decreased, which means many of our babies and girls are now going hungry and lack supplies,” said Nikki Uson, the owner of Minikkins.

Through every purchase of its sweet baked goods from their ube cheese pandesal to their regular and mini-sized cookies during the prescribed period, people will be able to help vulnerable children get the support they need. (READ: Starting out as relief drive, this online shop helps give jobs to motorcycle riders)

Giving back

A graduate of Ateneo de Manila University, Uson shared that it was always in her plans to give back to the student organization, especially when she was part of its administrative board in college.

“Tugon has always been very close to my heart. In fact, I would still visit one of the orphanages even after graduation and my entire family has fallen in love with the babies there as well. The moment orders started piling on and when I could see Minikkins was making a profit, I knew I wanted to donate to Tugon for my first month,” she said.

She was even more sure about making it happen when she saw a post of Meritxell Children’s World Foundation, one of the partner-organizations of Tugon Ateneo, showing how their freezer and refrigerator had become dangerously empty for the first time in the 12 years it has existed.

Meritxell Children’s World Foundation had sought help on social media to help sustain its operations in providing a nurturing home for abandoned, neglected, orphaned, and abused children. They also help in searching for a loving family environment for the survivors. (READ: With relief goods running out, Cebuano youth group helps raise funds and aid)

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“As a non-profit NGO (non-governmental organization), we rely solely on donations in cash and kind to feed, clothe, educate and nurture vulnerable children. Since we’ve been in lockdown, the donations have reduced significantly. The added challenge of physically purchasing food for 25 individuals has compounded our difficulties,” the group said.

Uson quickly reached out to Tugon to let them know that she would be pledging her bakeshop’s profits for the next two weeks to them and their partner-organizations. A memorandum of agreement was later signed to make the arrangement official.

Prior to her initiative to help vulnerable children, Uson was among the alumni of St. Paul College Pasig Batch 2011 who led a donation drive providing frontliners of 4 different hospitals with personal protective equipment sets.

As operations start to wrap up with donations reaching more than P390,000, Uson decided to focus more on helping Tugon Ateneo’s partner-organizations.

Baking business on a roll

Established on April 26, Minikkins sells cookies in reusable tubs, and offers both regular and mini ube cheese pandesal. 

The shop’s name is a portmanteau of mini and the owner’s name Nikki. Minikkin also means a small or dainty creature.

Uson had made the online bakeshop when several people reached out to her to buy her ube cheese pandesal after she posted on Instagram about her attempt to bake it during quarantine. (READ: Lockdown ‘accident’: Online shop helps Dumagat farmers sell produce in Metro Manila)

“People have been convincing me for years to put up my own business, my parents actually gave me the capital for a bakeshop as a grad gift, but i never got around to doing it,” Uson shared. “I decided it was now or never. I was never gonna have as much time as I do right now so I finally decided to launch Minikkins.”

Those interested in ordering may message Minikkins’ Instagram or Facebook page. Based in New Manila, Quezon City, Minikkins ships anywhere in Metro Manila via Grab or Lalamove.

People may opt to add more to their payment to help Tugon Ateneo’s partner-organizations or donate to Minikkins. They may also donate directly to Tugon Ateneo by referring to the following details:

A receipt of the donation must be sent to tugon.ls@obf.ateneo.edu for verification. – Rappler.com