Thirteen year old Qiara Houston brought a cupcake cake that included 48+ cupcakes, packaged ice cream cups, and two balloon table toppers to Midway Shelter in Alameda to help make the residents’ Fourth of July weekend festive and celebratory. Building Futures appreciates her generosity, community spirit and remarkable talents. Here is her story in her own words:

Hi! I am Qiara Houston and during quarantine I started my own business, Qiara’s Creations. I am 13 years old and will be a freshman in high school this coming school year. I first started this business with balloon towers and now I make cupcakes and cake, too. I hope to expand even more in the future.

I started my business to put smiles on people’s faces. My first balloon creation I made was for my brother. Due to Covid-19, he didn’t get to have the full experience of his high school graduation, but when I surprised him with balloon towers, I saw how it brightened his spirit. He thought I bought them!

During these times, there’s not much that people can do to celebrate but special balloon creations and sweet treats definitely can do the trick! Lifting other people’s spirits also lifted mine and gave me something to keep my mind off of being away from school and my friends. I started baking and building on my craft.

A long-time family friend asked if I was interested in donating my services to Midway Shelter to brighten up kids’ days who may be missing celebrating special occasions. This offer felt meant to be because before the pandemic, my mom and I would volunteer at the Fourth of July races that benefit Midway Shelter (Alameda’s 2019 RACE pictured below).

I’m looking forward to donating more to Building Futures and  my community. If you are in the Bay Area and you have party needs, I can be contacted at [email protected], Qiara’s Creations on Facebook, and @qiarascreations on Instagram.

Thanks, Qiara! For more information about how to volunteer or donate services, visit our volunteer page.