When the novel coronavirus pandemic began, people started looking for creative ways to pass the time. After being furloughed from their jobs in education, friends Scott McKenzie and Jeremy Uhrich of Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, unknowingly tried their hand at the same new skill: baking cookies.
After completing his first batch of homemade goodness, Scott posted an obligatory humble-brag on Facebook. When Jeremy saw the post, he told his friend that he had baked some cookies that day too. They quickly decided to have a bake-off to determine who was better at it, and the friendly competition ultimately led them to create Cookies for Caregivers!
To determine whose cookies were the most delicious, Scott and Jeremy agreed to hand their desserts out to local frontline workers, first as a thank-you and second as their bake-off judges.
As much fun as their competition was, the dads realized they could do more good by joining forces and lifting the spirits of their local heroes! They set up a Facebook group so their community could help out and began baking away. Before long, the group had hundreds of members, with bakers ready to get into the kitchen at a moment’s notice!
“We just wanted to let these people know that we care about you, we recognize you, and we aren’t forgetting about what you’re doing,” Jeremy said. “This is just our small way of saying thank you and showing gratitude for what you have been doing and continue to do throughout the pandemic.”
They’ve been delivering baked goods for several months now and have been touched by their heroes’ reactions. “We’ve seen a lot of smiles and tears during deliveries, people are so appreciative,” Jeremy explained.
In their first seven months alone, they delivered more than 15,000 cookies to frontline workers in medical facilities, grocery stores, police departments, and more. Even better, each one of those cookies was made by a volunteer with plenty of love!
Jeremy and Scott have no intention of slowing down either! “There aren’t enough people to thank,” Scott said. “Kindness doesn’t have an expiration date.”
Who knew a friendly bake-off could transform into such an amazing movement? Way to go, dads!
Craving some cookies now? Follow Scott and Jeremy’s lead by making an extra batch for some frontline workers in your neighborhood! Don’t forget to share this story with your friends to inspire them to do the same.
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