'Great American Baking Show' contestant cooks for a cause

LOS ANGELES -- In the two years since Chris Tucker competed on ABC's "The Great American Baking Show," the hair stylist-turned-baker launched a company and is using his resources to give back.

"One of the things we believe at Betta with Butta is that we are just able to change and inspire the world one bite at a time," Tucker said of his company.

As soon as the coronavirus pandemic hit, Betta with Butta started releasing baking kits, with a portion of the proceeds going toward the COVID-19 Relief Fund.

In the spirit of Pride Month, Tucker also released limited edition, rainbow-themed items with a portion of the proceeds going toward the Trevor Project, a nonprofit focused on suicide prevention among the LGBTQ+ community.

"They do such amazing work in the LGBTQ community -- with the youth and giving people a place to feel comfortable when they may not feel that way otherwise," Tucker said.

Additionally, in the wake of the nationwide George Floyd protests, Tucker found it necessary for his brand to respond to the unrest of racial inequality.

Tucker joined the Bakers Against Racism movement, a nationwide virtual bake sale to support Black Lives Matter chapters around the country. Betta with Butta participated with their limited edition "equality cups." 100% of the proceeds from these deconstructed cake cups went directly to support Black Lives Matter Los Angeles.

"I think it's a really important time for large companies [and] small companies to come together and say, 'This is what we believe in and this is our moral compass as a company,'" Tucker said.

While the baker is focused on his company's charitable efforts during the pandemic, he does have plans to release a cookbook and potentially participate in another TV cooking show.