Young Baker and Entrepreneur Shares Gift with the Home

April 14, 2016

Sugar, spice, and everything nice have been the ingredients to success for young chef and entrepreneur Felix Castillo, namesake and creator of Felix’s Famous Cookies. He and his mother stopped by our boys campus today to present Fr. Scott with a sample of his nationally-renowned cookies and a donation to our Home—proceeds from featuring Mercy Home as their January charity of the month.

Felix, 10, is Illinois’s youngest Hispanic CEO and the founder of his family-owned cookie company. The business was inspired by Felix’s hobby of baking “pan de polvo” cookies with his mother, Laura Castillo. Using his late grandmother Toni’s recipe, Felix and his mother had runaway success and now oversee the production of 2,000 to 3,000 cookies per day.

While much has changed since their first sale, one key business practice hasn’t—the company makes sure to donate proceeds to non-profit organizations, choosing a different charitable cause each month. Each gift has a personal meaning to Felix and his mother, too.

“All of my donations are made in honor of my grandmother, Toni,” Felix said as he presented his gifts to Fr. Scott.

The young mogul and his mother found out about Mercy Home from former resident and dear friend of the Home Hector Morales, whose story was featured at last year’s Ringside, Mercy Home’s annual black-tie gala.

Hector met Felix at the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s 25^th Anniversary Gala in 2015. When he learned of Felix’s monthly philanthropic tradition, he knew exactly which West-side Chicago non-profit to suggest.

Thank you to Felix and Laura Castillo and to Hector Morales for supporting to our young men and women!