Jeremy Uhrich and Scott McKenzie didn’t realize how powerful a dozen cookies could be. That is, until they began to personally deliver their home-baked goodies to essential workers in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. The mission started with a little wager between the two friends.
Two Guys Started Baking
When the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown began, Jeremy, a basketball coach, teacher and camp director, decided to start baking with his kids, Finley and Maddix.
Scott, a former soccer coach, had been furloughed from his position as associate athletic director at Juniata College. To make the most of his time at home, he aimed to try to do something new every day. First up? Making chocolate chip cookies from scratch.
When a photo of Scott’s baking adventure hit Facebook, Jeremy’s competitive spirit kicked in. “I said, ‘I bet my cookies are better than yours,’” Jeremy recalls.
With the challenge on the table, it was “game on” for the coaches.
More Bakers Joined In
Jeremy and Scott asked high school basketball player Rachel Kyle to join them, and recruited Huntingdon Mayor David Wessels to judge the baking contest. The mayor livestreamed the judging on Facebook, with Rachel taking top honors. After the contest, Rachel, Scott and Jeremy took their remaining cookies to the Huntingdon Police Department as a tasty thank-you for first responders. “Then a light bulb went off,” says Scott, “and we realized we could do this every week.”
So Scott created a “Cookies for Caregivers” Facebook page to invite the community to help bake thank-you cookies for those on the front lines of the pandemic. By the end of the first day, more than 100 people had joined the group.
How Cookies for Caregivers Works
It wasn’t long before they had enough volunteers to make cookie deliveries for several months. The bakers drop off their cookies, along with a recipe, to Jeremy, who sorts and delivers them. The local hospital gets Cookies for Caregivers every week. Other recipients include firefighters, postal workers, veterinarians, doctors’ offices and pharmacists.
Since that first batch, Jeremy and Scott and their team of 200-plus bakers have presented more than 1,000 dozen cookies and treats to hometown heroes. “A few people have been moved to tears,” Scott says. “These people had felt invisible and when you shine a light of gratitude on someone and they feel valued, sometimes you get that reaction.
“That’s what this entire thing is about, bringing a little happiness in a time of despair,” he adds, “and if a cookie or treat can do that, we’ll continue to have people bake and we’ll be the delivery boys.”
Oat-Rageous Chocolate Chip Cookies
My aunt gave me this recipe, and my family thinks these cookies are delicious. We enjoy all different kinds of cookies, and with this recipe, we can combine three of our favorite kinds—oatmeal, peanut butter and chocolate chip—in one! —Jaymie Noble, Kalamazoo, Michigan
Amish Sugar Cookies
These easy-to-make, old-fashioned sugar cookies simply melt in your mouth! I've passed this recipe around to many friends. After I gave it to my sister, she entered the cookies in a local fair and won best of show. —Sylvia Ford, Kennett, Missouri
No-Bake Cookie Butter Blossoms
Chewy and sweet, these easy treats mix Rice Krispies, cookie spread and chocolate kisses in an unforgettable spin on an old favorite. —Jessie Sarrazin, Livingston, Montana
Oatmeal Crispies
My husband, who normally isn't fond of oatmeal, thinks these old-fashioned cookies are great. With a hint of nutmeg, their aroma is wonderful as they bake...and they taste even better! —Karen Henson, St. Louis, Missouri
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
I'm one of the cooking project leaders for my daughter's 4-H club, where these soft, delicious cookies were a great hit with the kids. —Marietta Slater, Augusta, Kansas
Chewy Chocolate Cookies
This cookie recipe—a favorite of our four children—has been in my collection for years. Sometimes I'll substitute mint-flavored chips for the semisweet chocolate ones. Either way, the cookies disappear quickly. —Sheri Ziesemer, Olympia, Washington
White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies
White baking chips and macadamia nuts are a fantastic duo in these buttery cookies. They are a nice change from the classic chocolate chip ones. —Cathy Lennon, Newport, Tennessee
Butterscotch Toffee Cookies
With its big butterscotch and chocolate flavor, my cookie stands out. I like to enjoy it with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee. It’s my fallback recipe when I’m short on time and need something delicious fast. —Allie Blinder, Norcross, Georgia
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
This soft and chewy low-carb cookie recipe calls for canola oil instead of butter to reduce the saturated fat. It's hard to eat just one! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies
Cookie butter and ground ginger add a new layer of flavor. The recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies, and they go fast. You may want to make a double batch. —Carole Resnick, Cleveland, Ohio
Winning Cranberry Chip Cookies
Chock-full of cranberries, chocolate chips and nuts, these cookies are fun to eat. They offer a change of pace from traditional Christmas cookies...but don't wait until December to make them. My family requests them all year-round. —Betty Albee, Buhl, Idaho
Popcorn Cookies
It's so much fun to surprise people with the crushed popcorn in these yummy cookies. They're definitely a distinctive treat on the cookie tray! —Leigh Anne Preston, Palmyra, Indiana
Chewy Maple Cookies
My husband, Bob, and I have a small sugaring operation with Bob's father. I love to put some of our syrup to use in these golden cookies. —Reba Legrand, Jericho, Vermont
Brown Butter Spice Cookies
If you like spice cake, you’ll love this recipe! Browned butter, dark chocolate and a splash of rum produce an unconventional spice cookie that’s guaranteed to please. —Kristin Kenney, Newport Beach, California
Sour Cream Chocolate Cookies
These soft chocolaty sour cream cookies can be easily altered to make several different varieties —I've added everything from mints to macadamia nuts to them. —Tina Sawchuk, Ardmore, Alberta
Oregon's Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookie
Oregon has an abundance of nuts, and these nutty cookies are popular with the ladies at my craft club. Growing up during the Depression, my mother taught us to use what was available and said, "It doesn't have to be expensive to be good." She was right! —Selmer Looney, Eugene, Oregon
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
My husband loves homemade cookies, and these are probably his favorites. The wheat flour and oats give these cookies a distinctive flavor. —Linda Fox, Soldotna, Alaska
Ginger Drop Cookies
My mother shared the recipe for these soft spice cookies, and I've been making them ever since. That the recipe was my mother's makes them all the more special. —Bethel Walters, Willow River, Minnesota
Apricot Almond Blondies
My mom shared this recipe with me after sampling these cookies at a bed-and-breakfast. For a little variation, I sometimes substitute cranberries and pecans for the apricots and almonds. —Amy Forkner, Cheyenne, Wyoming
Super Chunky Cookies
Chocolate lovers will go crazy over these cookies that feature loads of chocolate! When friends ask me to make "those cookies," I know exactly what recipe they mean. —Rebecca Jendry, Spring Branch, Texas
Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies
These rich, fudgy cookies are chewy and studded with tangy dried cherries. It’s a good thing the recipe makes only a small batch, because we eat them all in one night! —Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho
Cranberry Pecan Cookies
Each delightful little cookie is loaded with cranberries, nuts and a sweet hint of vanilla. But these little gems start with ready-made cookie dough! Let that be your little secret. —Louise Hawkins, Lubbock, Texas
Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies
Here's a different version of a traditional cookie. Add peanut butter to the traditional chocolate chip cookie, and you get the best of both worlds. —Clarice Schweitzer, Sun City, Arizona
Almond Toffee Sandies
I knew after sampling these cookies from a friend that I had to add the recipe to my bulging files! —Vicki Crowley, Monticello, Iowa
Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Dotted with cranberries, orange zest and vanilla chips, these cookies are so colorful and fun to eat. They look lovely on a dessert tray and would be a great addition to your Christmas cookie lineup. —Pat Habiger, Spearville, Kansas
Peanut Butter Jumbos
Oats, peanut butter and chocolate make these soft, chewy cookies hearty and nutritious. My whole family agrees this recipe is a real winner. —Deborah Huffer, Staunton, Virginia
Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
I packed chocolate chips, raisins, nuts and cinnamon into my oatmeal cookie recipe. These soft cookies are easy to make. Best of all, our kids love them! —Janis Plageman, Lynden, Washington
Cheery Cherry Cookies
With a tall glass of ice-cold milk, a couple of cherry cookies really hit the spot for dessert or as a snack. The coconut and bits of cherries provide a fun look and texture. —Judy Clark, Elkhart, Indiana
Soft Ginger Puffs
These spice cookies loaded with raisins and walnuts really do appeal to all generations—I found the recipe in a 1901 South Dakota cookbook! Sour cream adds a wonderful, unusual flair. —Marion Lowery, Medford, Oregon
Blueberry Oat Cookies
It's fun to make these blueberry cookies at the height of the season when folks are looking for tasty ways to serve that juicy fruit. A hint of cinnamon adds a special touch. —Elaine Gelina, Ladson, South Carolina
Cookies in a Jiffy
You'll be amazed and delighted with how quickly you can whip up a batch of these homemade cookies. —Clara Hielkema, Wyoming, Michigan
Wyoming Whopper Cookies
These big country cookies are made to travel—in fact, I came up with this recipe while trying to match a commercial cookie that was good, but too crumbly to carry. —Jamie Hirsch, Powell, Wyoming
Toffee Chip Thins
In an attempt to create the "ultimate" cookie, I took the best features from my favorite recipes to create this sweet, crisp cookie. My family can't get enough of them. —Lynae Lang, Wolf Point, Montana
Chocolate-Covered Raisin Cookies
My family loves these moist, chewy cookies. They're a year-round treat at our house, and a batch never lasts long. —Karen Bourne, Magrath, AlbertaFood banks are doing what they can to fight hunger in the face of the pandemic, but they need help. Want to know what you can do? Visit feedingamerica.org/covid19 to learn more about Feeding America’s pandemic response, and find a food bank near you.
The post This Facebook Group Has Baked 12,000+ Cookies for Essential Workers appeared first on Taste of Home.
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