Kathryn Mayers
Staff Photographer
Sugar Mouse is not only a British, pink and delicate flair for Laramie, but it is also a cupcake shop dedicated to helping girls who were sex trafficked in Cambodia. However, the average layperson would not know that with just a glimpse through the windows at the eye-grabbing cupcakes.
Ruth Williams, the owner of Sugar Mouse Cupcake House, is a British delight who has been baking since she was a little girl. Her mom passed when she was young, and thereafter she took over the baking for her family, making everything from scratch.
The name Sugar Mouse came from an old man from Williams’ hometown who owned a sweet shop that she and her friends would go to.
“Whenever I showed up I didn’t have money, but he would give me a sugar mouse,” said Williams.
A sugar mouse is similar to a sugar cube, but it is pink and in the shape of a mouse. Now, every child that comes into Williams’ cupcake shop gets a sugar mouse continuing the sweet old man’s memory.
However, Williams is not only a baker. She is also founder of Heart Mothers, a nonprofit dedicated to raising money and loving little girls who have been sex trafficked in Cambodia. She founded Heart Mothers in 2006, calling it “Godmothers” at that time but later changed it to respect the differences between the religion of the girls and most of the mothers.
Williams started Heart Mothers after she saw an image of a little girl who had been sex trafficked in a magazine at the hair salon. She said she went home angry and sad that week. She later went back to the salon to grab the article and found a way to get in touch with another incredible woman in Cambodia who was saving the girl in the picture, and others like her.
First, it was just Williams sending letters and pajamas to one girl, but Williams realized how many other little girls were in the same orphanage. Heart Mothers was then started through a contract stating that each girl must have a Heart Mother to write to her once a month, and they would all receive gifts to keep things fair. Williams took a trip to Cambodia that year and brought pictures of all the women who wanted to be Heart Mothers, and Williams let the girls pick their moms from the pictures.
Every year, Williams and six of the Heart Mothers take a trip to Cambodia to see their girls and bring them gifts.
“When they meet their mothers, it’s magical. Our job is to show them that all the crap that happened to them in the past is not who they are. We build them up,” said Williams. “What they crave more than anything is a mother figure.”
There are now 87 Heart Mothers around the world and 67 girls in the orphanage.
The orphanage works as both protection for these girls and as a school for them. Once girls are raped in their culture, they are said to be unclean and not allowed back into the schools. The orphanage and Heart Mothers, with the help of local monks to teach the girls, provide education and supplies up to the 10th grade, in order to help these girls get back on their feet.
The top girls in the orphanage are offered scholarships to take them to university and the others are given businesses when they turn 18. Williams’ girl, whom she saw in the magazine that day in the hair salon, was recently accepted into a university and will be studying accounting. Every month they are checked on to make sure they both feel safe in their new position in life.
As the orphanage grew, so did William’s cupcake sales. She first started selling them at farmer’s markets in town, but she soon had year long requests for them. All of the cupcake sales would go to the orphanage, and the girls, to help them feel loved.
“I would bake into my grave for those girls,” said Williams.
Williams cupcakes have been a large part of the girls’ lives due to the support it gives them. Just recently, Williams sent $7,000 to them, and will be able to send so much more now that she has a shop that can sell them all year long.
Natalie, an employee of Sugar Mouse, has been working there from the start. Williams took over the last bakery that was in the same location and kept on the staff to help her navigate the business side of baking. Natalie said “the brits have it going on” with their candies, like the adult wine gummies and crumpets, which is a mixture between an English muffin and a pancake served hot with lemon curd on top. These and many more British delights are offered at Sugar Mouse.
Natalie did not know of Heart Mothers before working for Williams.
“It gives you a deeper appreciation for the owner,” said Natalie.
Williams has helped young women in incredible ways through her cupcakes and Heart Mothers. Sugar Mouse Cupcake House is a place of sweets and happiness, and Williams said she hopes others will come along to experience their first sugar mouse.
