Compassionate and Constructive action is the subject of this week’s Feel-Good Friday.
Eleven-year-old Kamryn Balfour came up with a genius way to help local shelters that are overwhelmed with animals caught up in the July 4 catastrophic floods in the Hill Country of Texas. Balfour was a camper at Kickapoo Kamp along the Guadalupe River, just 20 miles from Camp Mystic, where 27 campers and counselors lost their lives. As of this writing, the number of people tragically taken by the flood sits at 135, with two people still unaccounted for.
Balfour was captured by the thought of how her life was spared. “I was really, really sad,” she said in an interview with Houston’s KHOU 11. She thought, “That could have been me.” Balfour, a creative girl who already has an entrepreneurial spirit, wanted to do something to help those around her who were suffering from the loss of friends, family, and even pets.
Read More: Amazing Rescue of Woman in Tree, Stunning Video Shows Just How Fast TX Flood Waters Rose
So, Balfour decided to bake and sell cookies and donate the proceeds to flood relief efforts.
In the bustling kitchen of Cakes by Gina, where flawless frosting and fondant creations are the norm, something even sweeter is taking shape — and it’s not just dessert.
“I told her the kitchen is yours if you need it,” owner Gina Gutierrez said. “I didn’t realize how many orders she was going to have.”
A corner of the commercial bakery now belongs to 11-year-old Kamryn Balfour, a young camper with a big heart and an even bigger purpose. Inspired by the devastating July 4th floods that ravaged parts of the Texas Hill Country. Kamryn was staying at Kickapoo Kamp. It’s about 20 miles from Camp Mystic, where 27 campers and counselors were killed.
“I was really, really sad and thought that could have been me,” Kamryn told KHOU 11.
Kamryn returned home with a mission.
Cakes by Gina owner Gina Gutierrez is a family friend of Balfour’s, and she donated a portion of the commercial kitchen of her busy and thriving business to help with the cause. Balfour baked all the cookies from scratch, putting out 17 batches of cookies in one day. Balfour placed the cookies in a decorative bag with pretty pink bows and sold each bag for $5 under the label, “Kamryn’s Kravings.” Balfour started out with a modest goal of raising $500, but her act of service gained incredible momentum and reach. As of this Feel-Good Friday writing, she has more than quadrupled that amount!
For the last week, she’s been measuring and mixing and baking away. What started as a small bake sale has quickly turned into a full-blown movement of Kamryn’s Kreations. With support from Cakes by Gina and help from her mom, Kamryn has baked and sold more than 1,000 cookies in just over a week. At $5 a bag, her original goal was to raise $500. She’s now passed $3,000 — and the orders keep rolling in.
Balfour plans to donate 100 percent of those profits to Hill Country shelters and vets that are treating rescued dogs for snake bites, injured paws from walking on the debris, and heat exhaustion. So far, she plans to give $1,500 to Kerrville Pets Alive and $1,500 to Texas A&M’s VetMed team.
Near and far in the area, we’re clamoring and ordering five and 10 bags at a time,” Kamryn’s mom, Kelly, said.
Customers like Albert Bohorquez say the gesture brought them to tears.
“I thought it was the most precious thing in the world, young kids helping young kids,” Bohorquez said.
Kamryn’s makeshift cookie factory has turned into a nonstop operation — over 30 batches already baked. She and her mom admit they’re still learning as they go, but they’ve been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support.
“We don’t know how to bake anything else, but we’re getting there,” Kamryn said.
I don’t think Balfour needs to know how to bake anything else. Those cookies embody the sweetness of the act and are more than worth their weight in gold.
But Balfour does not plan to stop there. On Saturday, July 26, she will host a cookie pop-up sale between 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. at Cakes by Gina in Houston, Texas. Those proceeds will go to the families in the Hill Country who are struggling to rebuild after the wreckage. If you happen to live in the area, it’s a worthy way to show your support and get a sweet treat to boot.
“Even a little small bit of help can turn into an explosion of help,” Kamryn said.
While the damage from the natural disaster in Texas is nothing to feel good about, as the people of Kerr County continue to recover and assess the damage, it is beautiful acts of compassion and kindness like Kamryn Balfour’s that act as a balm to the wound of unfathomable loss.
You can follow Kamrynskravings on Instagram for updates on the pop-up sale and get information on how you can donate to the cause of helping the people of Kerr County recover.
The City of Kerrville is still looking for volunteers who want to help with the flood relief efforts. You can register to help in advance at tcr.communityos.org.
Another Feel-Good Favorite: Feel-Good Friday: A Mother and Daughters Create Appalachian Girl Doll to ‘Bless’ Hurricane Survivors
Balfour, her incredible heart, and innovative enterprise were featured on KHOU 11 in Houston.
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