By Janie Duncan
Mayflower Elementary School PTA in Monrovia recently held their annual fall fundraiser benefiting programs at the school, including installation of the new playground equipment, they received from a grant competition.
Mayflower 4th grader Dominic Rizzi worked hard selling cookie dough to help his school. His neighbor Sue Boos wanted to help Dominic, Mayflower as well as others in the local community.
A friend told her to talk to Janie Duncan who started the ‘MS Cookie Exchange’ and co-founded Foothills Kitchen. So Sue purchased 28 tubs of cookie dough from Dominic.
What will happen to all this dough?
Half will be given to the 17th Annual Cookie Exchange for the local Multiple Sclerosis Group of the San Gabriel Valley hosted by Aynn and Tom Freeman of Monrovia. This event will be held on December 12th at 2 p.m. at the United Methodist Church of Monrovia, 140 E. Palm Ave. The event is free and open to the public. People need to bring 6 dozen cookies to participate in the exchange or you may donate funds for raffle tickets. You take home 5 dozen cookies and the rest of the cookies are packaged and given to the guests at the MS Luncheon as Christmas gifts. Last year 150 people attended and there were over 4,000 cookies and 250 prizes. This fundraiser is the main support for local MS which meets on the second Monday of each month at the First Presbyterian Church at 10 a.m. Anyone with MS is welcome to attend this free Luncheon and support group. Thanks to Sue and Dominic there will be plenty of cookies this year.
But this is only half the story… The rest of the cookie dough will be donated to Foothills Kitchen, a Monrovia nonprofit group which hosts a free meal for those in need each Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of the United Methodist Church of Monrovia at 140 E. Palm Ave. The last Saturday of each month is HOPE Kitchen from the Methodist Church who serves at 2 p.m. The first Saturday is Covenant Kitchen hosted by Covenant of Grace Church. Many other Churches and volunteers help provide and serve the meals. The Kitchens get no corporate funding and run on donations from the private sector. Foothills Kitchen is more than just food. The guests eat at a linen-covered table with flowers and are served a full hot meal. Volunteers help with jobs, housing, clothing and other needed items. There are homeless, seniors, veterans, and families with children in attendance. Please check out Foothills Kitchen on Face Book for more information on where to volunteer or donate. The best news is that the guests will be getting hot baked cookies this holiday season thanks the efforts of a young student and the warm heart of his neighbor. For more information on either group or if you want to bake cookies please contact Janie Duncan (626) 358-8157 or email her at janieduncan@altrionet.com.
