Nina Nijbroek
In the Jefferson Manor neighborhood, Iris Nijbroek is known as “baker girl.” Since July, the middle schooler has been making and delivering baked goods in order to raise money for racial justice.
While most teenagers spent their summer glued to screens, Nijbroek’s mom encouraged her and her siblings to take on a service project.
Nijbroek, who has loved baking since she was seven years old and was inspired by the wave of protests for racial justice that swept through the country this summer, found a way to combine her interests.
On her website, people can choose from 11 different baked goods including gluten-free and dairy free options. The zucchini bread and “Chocolate Chip Bran-ana Bread” are family recipes that Nijbroek was especially excited to bake and share. Homemade dog treats are also available. A neighbor encouraged Nijbroek to add them to her page in light of the fact that many people have been adopting or fostering dogs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
When asked why she chose to raise money for racial justice, Nijbroek explained, “It’s a big problem and it hasn’t gone away, so anything I can do to help, I will. I’m not downgrading any of the other things that are happening right now, because there is a lot, but my church does a lot for racial justice so that was another reason for me to pick that.”
To date, Nijbroek has raised almost $2,000 for the racial justice cause. Buyers of her baked goods can choose to donate to Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Northern Virginia, Black Lives Matter, Black Youth Project 100, United We Dream or Black Girls Code. Or, donors can request a donation to a racial justice fund of their choice.
Community support has been wonderful, Nijbroek said. Some people will give her money which she uses to buy more ingredients. Some days she has had five different orders which has required a little extra help from family and friends.
For now, Nijbroek plans to continue her baking project into the school year. She enjoys volunteering and giving back to her community. In the future she may choose to bake for a different cause or two causes at a time.
To order some of Nijbroek’s tasty treats or simply make a donation, visit her website here. She will deliver to residents of the Jefferson Manor neighborhood or offer curbside pick-up anyone who lives outside of the neighborhood.
