12-year-old fundraising baker

PATERSON  At 12 years old, Peyton Triano is using her talents in a big way that helps others, especially during a challenging time for so many in the Diocese.

From cakes to cookies, Triano hosts bake sales and other baking-themed fundraisers to support the food pantry at the Father English Center here. Feeling a deep connection with others her age, Triano’s mission is specifically meant to help children and uses the profits to provide ‘kid-friendly’ food bags and birthday cupcakes and candles to families with children.

Triano, whose family are members of Our Lady of the Magnificat Parish in Kinnelon, said, “I started baking about a year and a half ago by myself and my favorite things to bake are all kinds of cookies and pastries. It makes me feel happy and I like making a difference.”

She started her foundation, Compassionate Kids N.J., with the help of her parents and her sister, Finley, keeping the goal in mind to help children and families in need.

She especially was touched by the mission of the Father English Center. She told The Beacon, “The Father English Food Pantry was started in 1993. At that time, it was handing out 50 bags of food per month. Today, the pantry fills bags for 21,000 residents that have empty cabinets at home.”

The Triano family has been connected with several of the social service agencies around the Paterson Diocese. Jenna Triano, her mother, said, “We have known about the Father English Center as Peyton and I have planned class parties for her elementary school that involved activities such as collecting and wrapping holiday gifts for Eva’s Village in Paterson or organizing a food drive for the Father English Center.”

“Peyton is a great girl. She is well educated and this mission of helping us really is in her heart,” said Carlos Roldan, director of the food pantries of diocesan Catholic Charities. “Many kids who can’t afford a small birthday celebration will have one because of her. She is very enthusiastic about selling her baked goods and every single penny she earns is used to buy food for needy families. We definitely would have a better world if we had more kids like her out there. Her family taught her right.”

In addition to selling her baked goods, Triano also hosts baking classes on Zoom and currently, a Super Bowl fundraiser is posted on the Compassionate Kids N.J. Facebook page. Triano’s sister, who is a Girl Scout, is also selling the organization’s Girl Scout cookies to benefit Father English.

Because of her baking endeavors, Triano was recently interviewed by CBS2 News for her service to Father English at the food pantry. This was an exciting moment for the Triano family and Triano hopes it got the word out about Father English and its mission. “It was surprising (to be on the news) and I was happy that I was able to bring more attention to the food pantry to see how hard Carlos and the staff of the food pantry work to feed the hungry,” Triano said.

“Peyton is the most empathetic child I have ever met. She constantly worries about how other people are feeling,” her mother said. “She has been drawn to helping people her entire childhood including having me open a bank account for her years ago so that she could deposit her birthday or baking money and have monthly payments taken out to support the World Wildlife Foundation. Thinking about children being hungry was making her so sad so she asked me if she could do something to help.”

One of the missions of Compassionate Kids N.J. is to connect kids with other kids that need a friend, service opportunities, and various ways to give back to their community. It was something Triano witnessed during quarantine. She noticed how other kids began to show the desire to give back as well and she decided to create a place that would give kids somewhere to go where they could help.

To parents with kids that want to help others, Jenna Triano said, “My advice is to sit back and let your kids do what feels right to them as an individual. With Peyton’s interest in baking, her noticing the problem of hunger in her local communities made sense. So watch the things that your kids truly enjoy and show talent in and the best way for them to give back is probably hidden right there. A child that loves art may find collecting art supplies for less advantaged school districts to be really rewarding. Or a child that loves sports may also love setting up soccer clinics for other children who would not have a chance to join a soccer team. Just letting your own child’s interests expand out into a way to help others,” she said.

To kids her age, Triano said, “You are not too young to make a difference and even if you think you can’t do enough, every little bit helps.” [ Information: “Compassionate Kids N.J.” on Facebook or on Instagram @compassionatekidsnj and @_eatsweet ]