Kim McNutt, owner of Mama Cakes, with the mostly full bin of clothes for those in need. (Photo by Peter Currier)
WESTFIELD – Kim McNutt was not always a successful baker and business owner. In fact, the owner of Mama Cakes went through a tough time when she could not provide winter coats for her children.
McNutt’s husband was one of thousands of airport employees laid off after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The drastic cut to their income was devastating, McNutt said. She did not know what to do and recalled an incident that left her heartbroken at the time and years later inspired her to pay forward her success.
A few months after 9/11, McNutt went to the Westfield T.J. Maxx store with her children, who were not wearing jackets despite the winter temperatures.
“We had no money to buy winter coats for the kids,” said McNutt.
A woman outside the store loudly scolded McNutt for not having coats on her children. McNutt said that when she went back to her car, she just cried, not knowing how to get out of the situation they were in, and hurt that others judged her without knowing the full story.
“If that woman was me, I would have gone inside and bought them some clothes instead,” said McNutt.
Today, McNutt’s tough financial situation is behind her and Mama Cakes is a small business success story. However, McNutt still remembers those challenging days and the sting of what that woman said to her. One day, three years ago, she decided to act the way she wished others had acted when she needed help.
“I decided to put out a bin of our winter clothes for all the homeless I see walking by here all the time,” said McNutt. “The clothes I put out were gone in a day.”
Since that first day three years ago, the bin, located in front of Mama Cakes at 40 Elm St., has become a regular fixture at her bakery, and she sees people coming by almost every day with clothes to drop off for those in need. Sometimes, McNutt said, she sees people walk by, notice the bin, and take the coat off their back and place it in the bin.
Originally, it was supposed to be something she only did during the winter, removing the bin sometime in March when the weather becomes tolerable. However, she said people have started donating to the Mama Cakes bin during the summer as well, adding toys or shoes, or other summer appropriate clothing for kids to the bin.
McNutt encourages everyone to take or donate items and not judge those in need.
