My name is Lisa Poirier, and I am the Founder and President of Highways of Hope Florida, a Lake Wales-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that I started in 2025 with the goal of helping families throughout our state.
One of the things I’ve learned is that something as simple as a birthday cake can mean so much to a child. After learning that many families struggling financially are unable to use SNAP benefits to purchase custom birthday cakes, I decided to create Wish Upon a Cake.
Wish Upon a Cake is a statewide program that connects volunteer home bakers with children ages 3–13 who may not otherwise receive a birthday cake. Every cake is donated by a volunteer baker who wants to help make a child’s birthday a little more special. What started with just an idea has grown into a network of caring home bakers from communities across Florida, and we’re continuing to add more volunteers every week.
Wish Upon a Cake is the second major program offered through Highways of Hope Florida. Our first program, Harvest of Light, provided complete Thanksgiving meal kits to 16 families during our first holiday season. Since then, we’ve continued expanding our outreach through community partnerships, volunteers, and new programs designed to meet needs in simple but meaningful ways.
While Highways of Hope Florida is still a young nonprofit, our vision is to continue growing one step at a time. Every volunteer, every donation, every birthday cake, and every meal kit helps us reach another family and reminds them that someone cares.
We are currently looking for additional volunteer home bakers throughout Florida who would be willing to donate a birthday cake when a request comes from their local area. We also encourage families, schools, churches, and community organizations to help spread the word so we can reach children who could benefit from the program.
To learn more about Highways of Hope Florida, Wish Upon a Cake, volunteer opportunities, or ways to support our mission, please visit www.highwaysofhopefl.org .
Thank you to the Lakeland community for supporting local nonprofits and helping us continue to make a difference, one family at a time.