NoRA's Purple Little Cake Sales Benefit Alzheimer's Research

Feeling philanthropic? How about chocoholic? Satisfy your need for sinful indulgence and banish the guilt by stopping by NoRA Cupcake Co. in Middletown North End for a purple and chocolate confection whose proceeds benefit a worthy cause.

Through Sept. 29, a hefty portion of NoRA's Forget Me Not cupcake sales will benefit the Alzheimer's Association Connecticut Chapter Walk to End Alzheimer's. Not like you need an excuse to try one of these tiny chocolate cakes filled with purple vanilla buttercream and topped with a chocolate ganache frosting — but now you have one.

On Monday afternoon, Carrie Carella, owner of NoRA at 700 Main Street in Middletown, donated use of her space, materials her time off as part of a youth in government partnership with the city of Middletown called Make Time.  

The initiative is an offshoot of Middletown's uncommon Youth in Government program, which offers young people a chance to sit on one of 15 boards and commissions throughout the city, says Youth Services Bureau Coordinator Justin Carbonella.

Make Time brings together youth and adults to converse about youth and community issues in Middletown. The program is designed to facilitate relationships between adults and kids in the community and is built out of MYSB's 40 Developmental Assets initiative intended to build better communities for youth to grow up in.

Monday afternoon, Mayor Dan Drew and youth participants cooked cupcakes at NoRA while working to develop a mayoral youth council.

This cements a contract Drew made when he was first elected mayor, Carbonella said. He met with youth services and other stakeholders to learn about initiatives adopted by the bureau, including developmental assets — 40 attributes of a community that contributes to positive youth development and engagement.

"Drew made a promise, essentially, 'I will involve young people in community decisions," Carbonella said. "Two years later almost, we have the chance to work with him to fulfill that promise."

• Community Leaders to Make Time for Youth in Shaping Their City's Future