Saving Gertie Kay’s

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO DONATED!!! We were able to raise $5,300!!! I have pledged all of my savings ($1,000) to this business and I need your help keeping this legacy alive. We’ve come SO far!!! Gertie Kay’s was able to provide over $3,200 to black trans women in need, bake over 100 pies for the LGBTQ community estranged from their families this thanksgiving and breathe life back into our ancestors’ story. My mom and I started Gertie Kay Sweets in our small home in southern Louisiana. The business is inspired by my great grandmother, Gertie Mae Cooks and her famous sweets in Thibodaux, LA. One oven, two hands, lots of love— that’s the motto. When we first launched in June, we weren’t expecting the support we gained. We gained both customers but also— family throughout all of this. Everyone was surprised by the amount of orders, including FedEx. During our busiest time, FEDEX shut down our account due to (suspicion of the amount we were shipping out) and withheld thanksgiving packages. By the time I was able to validate my account, I couldn’t get anyone to release them leaving these perishables to spoil and never get delivered. This hurt us, badly. We lost $8.3k of our profits. I was able to pay our black farmers, buy replacement supplies and pay two interns with my savings. However, I don’t have the means to keep this business up financially with such a loss. My goal was to get a kitchen in California with these funds, expand our Pies for Allies program and And, it breaks me to know that after Christmas we may have to shut down. We are STILL working on rebaking all the lost orders. Please help us keep our great grandmother’s legacy alive. #spreadthelove