Check Out LaTonya Thomas’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to LaTonya Thomas. 

Hi LaTonya, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
In 2011 I started an LLC called Sweet Start Bakery. I wanted to bake for those with food allergies. I learned that I could not bake from my current location so we moved to Lake St. Louis where the rules were different, I continued trying to get my business off the ground by networking and marketing and trying to get my name out there. I wasn’t really gaining much traction. I then prayed and said, ” Lord I would like to cook and bake for those who would appreciate it.” I continued in my prayer spelling out what I desired. A few months later, my husband and I experienced some financial loss and found ourselves unable to pay the full amount of our rent, we weren’t behind but we knew going forward it would be a challenge. We sat down with the owner of the property to ask if he would take 295 less than the total amount of rent and he said no, either pay it all or move. We did everything we could to get the money to pay all of our expenses but was still coming up short. We packed up our belonging and moved into an Extended Stay hotel. It was 2 adults and four children, I was devasted. I couldn’t understand what happened and why it had happened so fast. A friend of mine had given me a toaster oven to bake in since the hotel only had 2 burners. I love to cook and bake and I do it all the more when I am stressed. 

I started baking; it kept my spirits up. I would bake and cook for my family. I would take some of the things I baked to the front desk and offer it to them. Soon I was baking and cooking and offer it to others living in the hotel. This built a relationship with them and those people began opening up and sharing why they were living there. We stayed in this hotel for 15 months and during this time I was able to touch the lives of those who had not had a home-cooked meal in a year or a baked good in a long time. 

We were finally able to move from the hotel into a rental because an agency was finally able to help us. After moving into the rental, I tried restarting my business, this time I found myself baking for non-profit organizations. I wondered if having a business was really what I was meant to do or was there something else. After much though and prayer, Sweet Start Ministries a nonprofit organization was born in 2014. I wanted to continue helping others the way I did back in the hotel. 

Fast forward, I had to put both the ministry and the bakery on hold for years because I wanted to teach my children and develop their characters. After a while I had an opportunity to work as a Human Resource Manager, we wanted our own home and the income I had along with my husband’s wasn’t enough to get the size house we needed so I took the job. I worked for roughly 2 years and my husband and I were able to purchase our home in O’Fallon. During my time at this job, I experienced a hurt so deep that I resigned. I had fallen into a deep sadness for weeks. During these weeks I realized people seemed to have lost the true meaning of love and how to show it. I pulled out of the deep sadness and emerged thinking, now is the time for me to rebirth Sweet Start Ministries with a Love is an Action movement. In February of 2021, I launched the Love is an Action movement and in December of 2021, I rebirthed Sweet Start bakery using them together to bring encouragement to those experiencing housing displacement and things of this nature to help them be inspired to go through and come out of their situation like I did. 

Today, I’m continuing my efforts to build both my ministry and bakery to help bring forth the courage in people so that they try again, keep moving forward and come out of the situation they are in. 

I have experienced and endured a lot of life (trauma) and I know that love is the only way forward and so is courage. My goal is to continue to spread this message with any and everyone I can, 

I have since gotten more involved in my community. I helped start “Encourage St. Charles” a Facebook group. I became a community voices writer for Community News. I sit on several Boards with a group of classmates 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, the road has not been smooth. There were many struggles. One struggle was not being able to get the help we needed because we fell in the “grey” area, not low enough to get services but not high enough to not need help at all. The second struggle was staying in a queen-sized hotel room with 4 children all under the age of 12. I struggled emotionally with feeling helpless and hopeless. My marriage almost didn’t survive. I had to stop trying to gain clients. 

I had already taken an order weeks before everything happened and since it was a friend paying me, I made the cake using a toaster oven. 

My car was repossessed. 

A big contract for baking came to me but I had to decline because I had no place that I could afford to bake from. 

Christmas and Thanksgiving in the hotel was a challenge because the food pantry gave me a whole turkey and I had to figure out how to break it down and cook it in a small space. 

Life in general during this time was just a challenge. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I don’t formally work for anyone. However, I’m known for the cookies I bake. I use them as a lead-in to help bring encouragement and a smile to people. What I’m most proud of is how far I’ve come despite adversity. I can adapt in situations, gain wisdom and knowledge, and then share it with others to help inspire them. 

I’m a passionate self-taught baker. I use my talents to bring smiles to others. 

What sets me apart from others is my ability to rise above obstacles. I have a huge heart and many talents. I use them to be the light in a person’s day. 

I also volunteer plenty. I love my community and want to inspire those around me. 

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned due the Covid-19 Crisis is that time is precious and sometimes slowing down to appreciate it is a gift. I’ve also learned that people need love and grace. In a time of heightened fear and uncertainty love is the answer. Being patient, kind and understanding are all attributes of love. Without it we have chaos and division. 

Contact Info:

• Email: latonya@sweetstartministries.org
• Website: www.sweetstartministries.org
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/sweetstartministries
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/sweetstartministries

Image Credits
LaTonya Thomas