Colorful balloons and streamers fill Lucy Mullins Lake Highlands home, turning her Let Luce Bakery into the Let Luce Baking Camp.
“Yeah, let Luce,” Mullins said, explaining her grandmother, who was a baker, was named Luce. “Just have fun! No rules. Just let loose here.”
Mullins got the idea a week ago to hold a camp for children whose summers were changed by the July 4 flash flood in Central Texas.
“It’s for children who were in the floods and had to come home from camp early. It’s for children who are grieving, children who need some brightness in their day,” Mullins said. “I had the idea, everyone else made it happen.”
Mullins said she posted her idea on social media, and the donations came in from as far away as Canada. Donated party balloons, cake decorating materials, T-shirts, hats, and more. Campers learn how to decorate a cake, and then ‘Let Luce’ their creativity.
“It’s truly been a remarkable thing to see the community come together,” Mullins said. “Baking is a very therapeutic process, and my hope is that these children can explore that, and maybe go home and continue their healing in their own kitchens.”
Mullins said a licensed therapist is on-site for the camps, in case any children or parents need someone to talk to. The camp lets children know they aren’t alone in their sorrow or grief.
“So it’s really sparked great conversation among them as well, thinking about camp as a great place they do have memories from, and do have great memories from,” Mullins said. “It’s brought them a lot of joy to see the kids smile and laugh, and for their parents to see them smiling, I think, is really important.”
There are 4 more camps scheduled, but Mullins said she will add more if there is more need.
“Just seeing them here in-person and how beautiful they are, how kind they are, and how young they are; they’re so resilient, and they’re so strong,” Mullins said. “I hope that they know they’re loved.”
Let Luce Baking Camp application forms are available online.