How one Lute family turned a birthday into community support

For Ellen (Brotherston) Aronson ’07, the Lute culture of care continues long after graduation. A second-generation graduate of Pacific Lutheran University, Ellen’s PLU connections run deep: her parents met on campus, extended family members are alumni, and she still shows up — at events, through relationships, and by giving back during Bjug Day (“Gotta get those matching dollars,” she says).

“I attended PLU during the launch of the Wild Hope Project, and so the question of ‘what do I want to do with my one wild and precious life’ is one that is sort of just stuck in my consciousness,” she reflects. 

That sense of purpose and connection recently took a sweet — and meaningful — turn. When Ellen learned about the PLU Pantry through mentor and friend Dr. Eva Frey, she saw an opportunity to support students in a way that felt both practical and celebratory. 

Amid news of cuts to SNAP benefits, Ellen saw videos about “cake kits” being donated to food banks. Essentially, cake kits are assembled packages with all the essentials needed to create a cake, including cake mix, frosting, a can of soda (as an egg/oil substitute), and candles. They make it possible for families experiencing financial hardship to still bake a birthday cake.

With her son Connor’s birthday approaching, Ellen proposed a different kind of celebration. Instead of gifts, guests were invited to bring cake mix, frosting, and sprinkles. The family would handle the rest. Ellen set a modest goal of 24 kits — 12 for each organization as a nod to Connor’s 12th birthday. By the end of the weekend, Ellen, Connor, friends, and family had assembled 60 cake kits: 20 for the PLU Pantry and 40 for the Puyallup Food Bank. “It made me happy to use my birthday as a way to make sure other kids get to have a birthday cake,” Connor says. 

The PLU Pantry, part of Wellbeing Services & Resources (WSR), provides free food, hygiene items, and essentials to PLU students. It exists to ensure that basic needs don’t stand in the way of learning — and to remind students that their community will show up when needed. “I think the PLU Pantry is a great and innovative way to support students,” Ellen shares. When the Aronsons delivered the kits to campus, WSR staff took time to explain how the pantry works and how it supports students navigating food insecurity. “I felt really good about what my family did when we were dropping them off at PLU and the Food Bank,” Connor says.

Their visit also reminded Ellen of the values that first shaped her as a student. “My time at PLU was transformative,” Ellen reflects. And PLU’s mission still resonates with her to this day, particularly the call to serve. “I can’t fix all the problems,” she says, “but I can do something to make a positive change in my local community.”