You Are Special is proud to partner with more than 25 organizations across Southeast Wisconsin that provide support to individuals and families in need. From shelters and transitional housing to addiction recovery programs and veteran services, our community partners are on the front lines every day, and we are honored to bring a moment of joy to the people they serve.

Our volunteer bakers provide personalized birthday cakes to residents at each of our partner facilities, because everyone deserves to feel celebrated. But our volunteers don't stop there! When our partners put out the call, our community steps up with diaper drives, hygiene items, clothing donations, and more.

Want to Help?

There are many ways to support You Are Special and our community partners:

  • Become a Volunteer Baker: Our bakers are the heart of what we do. Whether you love baking from scratch or prefer to purchase a cake, we'd love to have you on our team.

  • Partner With Us: Are you an organization serving individuals in shelters, group homes, transitional housing, or residential programs in Southeast Wisconsin? We'd love to explore a partnership.

  • Donate: Your financial support helps us cover the cost of supplies, delivery, and program coordination so our volunteers can keep doing what they do best.

  • Support Our Partners Directly: Our community partners listed below often have their own wish lists and volunteer needs. Visit their websites below to find out how you can lend a hand.

Racine County

Veteran’s Outreach of Wisconsin

For more information, contact Mary McNulty at mary@youarespecialwi.org

Diapers collected for our friends at Safe Babies Healthy Families. Along with making birthday cakes, You Are Special volunteers are quick to jump in when our community partners ask for help. Donations to You Are Special allow us to help those in nee…

Diapers collected for our friends at Safe Babies Healthy Families.

Along with making birthday cakes, You Are Special volunteers are quick to jump in when our community partners ask for help. Donations to You Are Special allow us to help those in need.

You Are Special is proud to support Meta House and their mission to end the generational cycle of addiction by healing women and strengthening families.

You Are Special is proud to support Meta House and their mission to end the generational cycle of addiction by healing women and strengthening families.

Testimonial
Patricia T.

This is being sent to you to let you know how much our families and children appreciate the amazing birthday cakes and cupcakes that your group sends to our agency, Milwaukee Women’s Center, Inc. shelter. The staff share in the excitement when the cakes/cupcakes are delivered. They are always beautiful and tasty.

This wonderful gesture is more than appreciated for the children’s birthdays, because in many cases, the children would not be able to experience the joy of having a cake and sharing it with their family and the other shelter families. The mothers and fathers, often times, say that if it were not for your program, their children would not have a cake. Words cannot explain, how the children’s eyes light up when they receive their cakes. They are very excited, to say the least.

I cannot say enough to thank your group for making our children’s birthdays pleasurable.

Keep up the excellent work!

— Patricia T., Milwaukee Women’s Center

Mary Z.

Autumn West provides individuals who are homeless and experiencing a mental illness immediate shelter and support. Case management services are provided to the residents as they transition from shelter into permanent supportive housing. You Are Special provides birthday cakes for individuals staying at Autumn West. It is heartwarming to see the look of surprise and joy when residents are presented with a birthday cake. The birthday cake helps build a sense of community when residents come together to share their cake. The birthday cakes show that someone cares and that an individual is valued as a human being. In one instance, an older gentleman started to cry. He stated that this was the first time anyone had ever celebrated his birthday.

— Mary Z., Autumn West

Beth B.

I just wanted to thank you and all of the amazing bakers who work so hard to help us celebrate the birth of every woman and child we have in our program. So many times, women come here feeling completely demoralized; they’ve been told they are worthless, terrible mothers; that they should never have been born. So, for them to get the treat of a special cake, that somebody made just for them – it’s a beautiful thing.

— Beth B., The Women’s Center (Waukesha)