WVVA Homwetown Hero: Kennedy Black gives back to her community
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (WVVA) - The young owner/operator of a little bakery in White Sulphur Springs is doing big things for her community. 28-year-old Kennedy Black is the only employee at Tootsie’s Place on Main Street.
Black opened her bakery in January of 2021, naming her business after her great grandmother. In her short time in business Black has filled some tall orders when it comes to the need in her community. Her nominator wrote of Black’s gifts of brand-new highchairs for a day care in need, as well as sponsoring the veteran’s luncheon for the Dandelion Festival. She’s even worked a career day in an elementary school in Greenbrier County, among other contributions in many other areas, “I do these things and, I guess I never thought of how much I had done because you see the need in the community and you just want to help,” Black said.
We asked Black where her motivation to pay it forward originates, considering she’s barely got two years under her belt as an entrepreneur, “I mean anyone can write a check but to go out and sit at football games and help support or to actually go to the store and find the right kind of high chair or to make a cake for veterans and go help and deliver it, or whatever the case may be, it’s one thing to write a check or, it’s another thing to actually see the need without actually being asked. And to do it, almost in the shadows, almost, you don’t really, like I don’t really need the credit. I don’t, that’s not what the whole point of it was,” said Black before adding, “I see it as blessings, and I have been very blessed in my business. I’ve done this, all by myself, come in every morning and bake and open and I see every single person and I remember almost every single person who comes in and it’s just, I’ve been blessed and so I want to bless other people in our community. I think that’s something that my mother has driven into me.” Black said with a smile.
Black shares this advice for anyone who wants to make a positive contribution to their community, but they struggle to find a starting point, “I think it’s looking for the need, whether it be the football team needs a coach, and if that is your set of skills, getting out there and saying hey, I am really good at this and I think that I can help you. it is looking for where the need is and how your skills set can help with that. Need to help the community grow,” said Black. It’s her efforts to use her skill set to help the community grow that makes Kennedy Black a WVVA-TV Hometown Hero.
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