Local bakers join Bakers Against Racism, donate proceeds to Black Lives Matter funds

SILVER LAKE (KABC) -- Local bakers are getting involved in a nationwide bake sale called Bakers Against Racism.

More than 2,500 bakers are involved in Bakers Against Racism which started in Washington D.C. The goal is to sell baked goods and donate the proceeds to Black Lives Matter funds.

"We hopped on board because it's something that's perfectly suited for us," said Village Bakery and Café co-owner Barbara Monderine-Willams.

"We want to help in the community, but it's hard when you're when you're an essential worker and you have to be in here the whole time. It's really frustrating to not be able to get out on the streets and to march with everyone else," Monderine-Willams said.

The Village Bakery and Cafe in Atwater Village is selling boxes of baked doughnuts for $20. All of the proceeds will go to Black Votes Matter.

But you don't have to be a restaurant or bakery owner to be part of this campaign.

Home baker Christina Wong started making cookies as soon as she heard about the idea.

"I saw a lot of bakers in the LA area who were doing bake sales, and I wanted to do it. But I hesitated because it just felt like so much work," said Wong.

"But as soon as I saw this Baker's Against Racism campaign go up, I was like, I have to do it," Wong said.

Wong has raised more than $2,000 for Black Lives Matter LA and baked more than 600 cookies.

"People would say, you know, 'I'm just a home baker, I don't know if I can do this.'" And I said, 'No, you're not just a home baker, you're powerful. You have a voice and you can do this,'" she said.

Heather Sperling, co-owner of Botanica Restaurant and Market in Silver Lake, says they're donating their bake sale proceeds to Black Lives Matter LA and Gather 4 Justice.

"Up until a couple weeks ago, I really believed that my business as a restaurant was a largely apolitical restaurant," said Sperling.

"And I learned very quickly, as I'm happy to see a lot of other small business owners have learned, that actually part of being a responsible business owner or a responsible member of your community, is using whatever platform you have to broadcast the things that you think are really important," Sperling said.