Cookies for Kindness helps locals in need.
Thomas Hill will do anything to brighten the day for those in The Biggest Little City who are elderly, experiencing homelessness, or have disabilities. Hill, owner and baker of Cookies for Kindness, started his business with the intention of giving sweet treats to the needy — though he continues to bake for the masses as well. He not only provides food to those he serves, but also love and a glimmer of hope.
In 1992, Hill was involved in a bad accident that left him partially disabled. After another accident a few years later, he found himself unable to join the workforce. With determination at his core, he began working at the Reno + Sparks Chamber of Commerce, where he gave cookies to seniors and people with disabilities. He consistently was told he should start a business with his product, and Cookies for Kindness was formed. Today, in the commercial kitchen tucked inside The Bridge Church in Reno, Hill cooks meals and cookies almost daily. He remembers a time when he operated without the comforts of modern kitchen technology.
“When I started this, I was always mixing everything in a bowl by hand,” he explains. “I couldn’t grab a spoon for a while because of the [soreness from] mixing. Now I have a commercial mixer and two commercial ovens. I can pump out almost 300 cookies in an hour.”
Cookies prepared by Thomas Hill
Cookie Dough and More
Before the coronavirus pandemic hit, Hill was planning to sell his cookies at dozens of local events. With many of those happenings cancelled, he’s shifted his purpose to making meals for the displaced. He provides care packages, barbecues, breakfasts, and more to Eddy House in Reno, which serves homeless and at-risk youth in Reno. And he continues to hand out free cookies to the disadvantaged.
“I feel like I live in the greatest city in the world,” he says. “With all the stuff we see going on, I see our community always coming together to tackle a problem or a cause that needs tending to. Even though I’m not a nonprofit, with Cookies for Kindness, it’s my continued goal to take a certain amount of what I make from my cookie sales to help out the homeless, distressed teens, and seniors.”
For those who want to help, Hill asks for care package supply donations as well as monetary contributions for groceries. For details, visit Cookiesforkindness.org.
During these uncertain times, Heidi Bethel appreciates the efforts of many to better our community and is proud to call Reno home.
