A few weeks ago, I donated cookies and muffins to Ford Employee Christmas Fund (ECF).  I really enjoyed giving back to this organization that gives to so many families each year, so I decided to bake and donate more treats to them for another one of their bake sales.  I decided to try something new, so I made peanut butter cookies and Rice Krispie treats.  This bake sale was very successful raising over $800, and I am glad that my baked goods contributed to that impressive total!  I am looking forward to helping ECF this year by delivering food and presents with my family soon.  Thank you to ECF for making so many local families happy this Christmas!

Veterans are important to our country because they fight to keep us safe and protect our freedom.  They do not always get the support they need when they return home. According to a survey conducted by Disabled American Veterans, fewer than half of veterans feel they have received the health, disability, financial, and educational benefits they were promised.  Only 18 percent of veterans believe that the men and women who got injured in the military have actually received the benefits they deserved.  Fortunately, there are organizations that help veterans get the services they need. Michigan Paralyzed Veterans of America (MPVA) is one such organization.  MPVA improves the quality of lives of veterans with spinal cord injury or disease, and citizens with disabilities.  They advocate for civil rights, assure quality health care, and support continued recreation, research, education, and healthy living.  MPVA relies on volunteers, donors and sponsors to deliver its mission.  I believe that MPVA serves and important role in helping veterans.  Because veterans sacrifice so much to serve America, I wanted to do something to support them.  I reached out to the organization to find out what I could do to help.  I learned about the annual MPVA auction, which is one of its biggest fundraisers.  I offered to donate cookies to be auctioned off.  They were so happy that I offered to donate to the auction, and I was surprised to learn from them that people rarely contact them to help out like I did.  My cookies sold at auction, and I am happy that I made a contribution, even though it was small, to MPVA.  

Ford Employee Christmas Fund (ECF) is an organization that helps families in need have a happy Christmas buy donating food and presents.  This group of Ford employees have been helping local families and individuals since 1959, and this is their 58th year!  They help over 120 families every year.  I baked several dozen cookies and muffins for ECF, which they sold at a bake sale to raise money to buy all of the supplies.  I chose to help ECF specifically because every year my family and I help ECF deliver the packages to the families that have been selected to receive donations.  We get a box of food and toys to deliver to a family. Each year, when we drop off the donations, the families are very grateful and relieved to be able to celebrate Christmas with a nice meal and presents for their kids.  Christmas is really special to me.  It's my favorite time of year, and it makes me sad to think that not every family can have the same kind of Christmas that we have in my family.  Helping ECF gives me an opportunity to make a difference and bring joy to others.

My mom told me about an interesting event at her work, Wills for Heroes, which is put on by Ford Motor Company lawyers who do pro bono work writing wills for police officers and firefighters.  The work the heroes do on a daily basis is outstanding.  They help citizens and even risk their lives, so I wanted to find a way to thank them.  My mom was transporting the cupcakes to her work, so I did not have to wrap the goodies individually. That meant I was able to make cupcakes, which I love doing! They are really fun to decorate, and I can get creative with colors and icing tips.  My cupcakes were put out for the officers and firefighters to enjoy while their wills were being drafted, and my mom reported that everyone loved them.

I was watching all of the news coverage of Hurricane Harvey and I heard about the displaced animals.  I love dogs, and I have two at home, so I really wanted to help the dogs who were affected by the hurricane.  I saw on Houston Humane Society's wish list on their website that they were in need of dog treats.   I perfected my recipe last time when I made dog treats for Last Day Dog Rescue, so this was the perfect time to make them.  I hope that these will help, and I hope all the dogs find homes.

This week I donated homemade cookies and dog treats to Last Day Dog Rescue for their "Pins for Paws" fundraiser.  I delivered the cookies to a bowling alley where Last Day Dog Rescue was hosting the fundraiser.  They had a table set up, and they sold my treats there.  I made treats for humans:  chocolate chip cookies, which I love making, and sugar cookies and icing from scratch, which I had never made before.  The dog treats were really fun to make too.  I made peanut butter flavored dog treats, and I liked trying something that was not for humans.

I was away at 3 weeks of sleep away camp at the University of Michigan, so, unfortunately, I could not bake for a while, but now I am back, and I was excited to return to baking.  Today I baked chocolate cupcakes, and I wanted to try something new, so I made chocolate frosting from scratch.  I donated these cupcakes to the Farmington Hills Fire Department, and I got to talk to one of the firefighters, and he seemed to enjoy them.  It felt good to be able to give back to them.

I finally got to bake again since we moved!  I was so excited to bake in my new kitchen and use all of my new stuff donated by my generous donors.  Today I donated to the Farmington Hills firefighters.  I made them some cupcakes, and I got to use the some of the fun supplies that people donated, like these cupcake wrappers and sprinkles.  I hope the firefighters enjoyed the cupcakes as a thank you for helping the community.

Unfortunately, I have been unable to make anything for Baking a Difference for the past several days because we just moved to a new house, and everything is in boxes.  We are getting our new kitchen set up, and I am excited to start up again soon! 

The cookies arrived in Germany!  I really enjoyed making them, and I am glad that they arrived there safely.  I plan to do this again, and I am looking forward to it.  Thank you to Zach and his battalion!

I was really excited for this week's projects.  I baked cookies and sent them to a US Army battalion in Germany.  I am waiting to see if they arrive in good shape.  I have never done this before, so I had to spend a lot of time researching what to send and how to send it.  I chose to send shortbread cookies and oatmeal chocolate cookies because I think that they will travel the best.  I was glad to get the chance to help those that protect us.  I also donated cupcakes to Destination Imagination, which is a club at my city's middle school.

Thank you for all of the generous donations!  Baking a Difference is off to a great start!  With your help, I donated to Last Day Dog Rescue (http://www.lastdaydogrescue.org).  I baked cupcakes and muffins, and Last Day Dog Rescue took them and sold them at a fundraiser.  I also donated cookies to PBJ Outreach (https://pbjoutreach.org), who included them in lunches for those in need.  Thank you again for all of your support!