Cookie Cart staff and youth employees help welcome Archbishop Desmond Tutu to North Minneapolis

Nobel Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu was in North Minneapolis earlier this month, promoting peace and supporting youth-led service projects. His visit included a speech to a packed North High School auditorium and a parade down West Broadway Avenue past the Cookie Cart.

Two Cookie Cart youth employees handed out cookies to Archbishop Tutu and other guests as they arrived at North High School. Tsu Yee "Chewy" Yang, a sophomore at North High, was one of the teens that got to meet Tutu. He also took the photo of Tutu above. "It was really cool to meet him," Chewy said. "He was very friendly and smiling the whole time. I was really proud to give him a cookie that we baked at the Cookie Cart and to take a picture of him at my school."

Following his speech at North High, the entire Cookie Cart youth staff gathered in front of the bakery to cheer Archbishop Tutu as the parade passed by. When Tutu's car stopped in front of the Cookie Cart, two youth employees presented with a bowl of assorted cookies and a yellow Cookie Cart t-shirt.

"It was great to see the number of teens who got up early on a Saturday morning to come see Archbishop Tutu," said Taronda Richardson, the Cookie Cart's Bakery and Employment Director. "His visit was a great reminder of what truly matters and the value of peace. I hope it will inspire the teens and the entire North Minneapolis community to work to bring peace to our community."

Where are they now? An interview with former Cookie Cart youth employee, Kenya McKnight

Q: When did you work at the Cookie Cart?
A: I worked at the Cookie Cart in the late 1980s. I must have been around 11 years old when I started. The Cookie Cart had just moved into the bakery on Emerson Avenue, and I lived at 17th Street and Dupont Avenue, so it was really close to my house.

Q: What was your favorite thing about working at the Cookie Cart?
A: Many of my friends at that time were into stealing and partying, so the Cookie Cart gave me something more constructive to do with my time. It also gave me an opportunity to earn money, which was very helpful for my family. There weren't a lot of other employment opportunities for young kids in our community.

Q: What have you been doing since you left the Cookie Cart?
A: I have worked consistently since I left the Cookie Cart. I had to drop out of high school to help support my family, but I completed my G.E.D. in 1997, and I am working on completing my college degree. I am currently working as a loan officer and a community specialist in the economic development field.

Q: Do you think that the experience you gained working at the Cookie Cart has helped you succeed in school and in subsequent jobs? How?
A: Yes, being able to earn money at that age certainly helped me establish pride in earning a living. I was able to purchase clothes and shoes and was exposed to people in the community who really cared about my growth and development. What I liked most about working at the Cookie Cart was that a lot of my friends and my brothers and sisters and cousins also worked there so we would all stand on the corners of West Broadway and Emerson and compete with each other to sell the most cookies. We also competed to see who could bake the best cookies.  It was fun!

Q: Would you recommend working at the Cookie Cart to other young people?
A: Without a doubt! The Cookie Cart is a great foundation for young people. It helps them develop strong work ethics.

Q: What is your favorite Cookie Cart cookie?
A:  My favorite cookie was Sister Jean's Special.

Volunteer crunches data (and the occasional cookie)

April is National Volunteer Month, and the Cookie Cart would like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank one of our most dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers, Nicole Braegelmann. Nicole has been volunteering her time at the Cookie Cart for nearly two years now. In that time, she has logged more than 100 hours, working with the staff to completely redesign our individual donor database. She has also volunteered at Cookie Cart Days at the IDS Center and at our annual summer festival, and she has recruited other volunteers for the organization.

Nicole works in the information technology area for Target Corporation. She learned about the Cookie Cart from her former boss, Shaun Irwin, who is a member of the board of directors of the Cookie Cart. "Shaun approached me and asked if I would be interested in helping with some of the more technical, computer-related systems at the Cookie Cart. I decided to volunteer because the Cookie Cart is a fun organization to work with, and it was a perfect fit with the skills I use everyday at work at Target," Nicole explained.

"Nicole's help with improving the design of our donor database made a significant contribution in the Cookie Cart's success in individual fundraising over the past two years," said Al Fan, past Chair of the Cookie Cart Board of Directors.

Of course, one of the perks of volunteering at the Cookie Cart is free cookies.  Nicole's favorite cookie is the Snickerdoodle, but the gingersnap is a close second. When asked how she has avoided gaining the infamous "Cookie Cart 10," she admitted that she often brings the cookies to work to share with her co-workers. "They always disappear quickly at work," she said.

If you are interested in learning about volunteer opportunities at the Cookie Cart, please contact Clea Dezio at (612) 521-0855, ext. 115, or cdezio@cookiecart.org.

Celebrating 20 years of serving youth in North Minneapolis: Moving to our current location on West Broadway Avenue, 1995-1996

As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Cookie Cart, we offer a regular series looking back at the organization's history and programs and the impact it has had on the North Minneapolis community. If you have a story about the Cookie Cart that you would like to share, please contact Clea Dezio at (612) 521-0855, ext. 115, or cdezio@cookiecart.org.

In the summer of 1995, the Cookie Cart began looking for a new, permanent home that would enable the organization to involve more youth in its programs. At that time, many teens were only able to get one two-hour shift per week, and they begged for more work hours. Tom and Audrey Schimmel, the co-directors of the Cookie Cart, found it very difficult to turn down 13, 14 and 15 year olds who wanted to work. With more space, they could actively seek more cookie orders to keep more kids busy.

Ultimately, the organization found a suitable building located around the corner from the existing bakery on West Broadway Avenue. The new building was partly donated by Champion Auto Stores after Champion opened a new store at Lowry and Emerson. The new 10,000-square-foot facility and new equipment were supported by General Mills, Pillsbury, McGlynn's Bakery, UPS and donated services from Morr Construction Services, Inc. and Paul Ravich of Ravich, Meyer, Wilson, McGrath law firm among others.

In September 1996, the Cookie Cart held a grand opening celebration for the new bakery. Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles-Belton and Minneapolis City Council president Jackie Cherryhomes both spoke at a VIP luncheon as well as Cookie Cart kids Chris Pham and Latasha Walker.

Next month:  A first-hand account of what it was like to work at the Cookie Cart in the early 1980s.