COOKIES FOR CHRIST

St. Joseph-St. Elizabeth School first graders, their parents and teachers sponsored “Cookies for Christ,” an annual stewardship and educational project for St. Joseph-St. Elizabeth School first graders. The cookie sale took place from December 1st to December 3rd.

First graders and their parents baked dozens of Christmas cookies at home, bagged them up individually in ziplock bags and sold them to the St. Joseph-St. Elizabeth School community for 25 cents a piece. The first graders helped with the baking at home and also helped to make posters to advertise “Cookies for Christ.”

The first graders took a field trip in early November to Ellison Bakery to see how cookies are made in a cookie factory. Ellison Bakery also donated dozens of its cookies for the “Cookies for Christ” sale days. Because the cookies are sold during school hours, first grade parents assisted in selling the “Cookies for Christ” cookies to all the St. Joseph-St. Elizabeth School students at both campuses.

All proceeds from the “Cookies for Christ” sale go to the Sunshine Club, a charitable organization that helps needy families at the holidays by providing them with clothing, Christmas gifts, hams, turkeys, other food and household linens. The Sunshine Club started at St. Joseph Parish on Brooklyn Avenue and now helps members of the Fort Wayne community, as well as St. Joseph and St. Elizabeth Seton Parish families who are in need during the holidays.
“Cookies for Christ instills the idea of giving of our time and talent early,” said first grade teacher Molly Slocum. “Cookies for Christ has become a great tradition of charitable giving for our first graders at St. Joseph-St. Elizabeth School.”

“This has been a fabulous project for the first graders at St. Joseph-St. Elizabeth School,” agrees first grade teacher Julie Peters. “The proceeds from the project go directly to the Sunshine Club of St. Joseph’s and St. Elizabeth’s parishes to benefit the needy. The kids have a great feeling about being able to help so many people just by making, selling and buying cookies. And cookies are one of their favorite things to eat!”
Mrs. Joanne Krudop, recently retired after 43 years of teaching and this first grade teacher who started “Cookies for Christ” 12 years ago, came in to talk to the first graders in November. When asked about the name “Cookies for Christ,” Mrs. Krudop told the first graders, “Jesus used his hands and feet to heal and help people. Now that Jesus is in heaven, he wants us to be his hands and feet. This is our way to be Jesus’ hands and feet.”

Last December, the St. Joseph-St. Elizabeth School first graders made $680 from their “Cookies for Christ” sales. They donated the entire amount to the Sunshine Club to help needy families at Christmastime. The first graders, their teachers and parents plan to do the very same thing this year with the money made from their “Cookies for Christ” sale.