Local bakery creates sweet treat to help Rebuild Joplin - KOAM TV 7

The sign in front of Small Cakes cupcakery at 420 North Range Line Road says it best:  "Maybe a cupcake will help"

Small Cakes has joined forces with Rebuild Joplin for the month of May to raise funds to help get families displaced by the May 22 tornado back into their homes.

"Our mission in 2012 is to rebuild or repair 100 homes for 100 families," says Kate Massey of Rebuild Joplin.  "We joke about it, but we're rebuilding houses one cupcake at a time."

$0.75 of the $3 cupcakes, dubbed "Rebuild Cupcakes", goes to Rebuild Joplin.

A lot of thought was put into the design of the cupcake.  From the actual cake to the frosting, the mix of chocolate and vanilla signifies how the City of Joplin has recovered.

"We went with the marble, coming out of the darkness and into the light, the light tops it off," says Small Cakes owner Deanna Johnson.  "There's people that aren't back in their houses yet and they need to be, and so we need to get them back in their houses, so that's what we thought we would work on."

Since their debut at the beginning of the month the cupcakes have been in high demand, the title alone caught the eye of Joplin resident Renita Kitchingham.

"I think it's amazing, I think any help that the city can get to rebuild is incredible," Kitchingham says.

For Johnson, the chance to make a difference is the biggest pay-off.

"This is my town and they've been through a lot," says Johnson.

Five other Small Cakes stores across Missouri and Georgia are also selling the Rebuild Cupcakes.

They will only be on sale through May 31.