Bowling Green baker shares cookie proceeds with Salvation Army

By: Jan Dillon

“Say it from your heart!” This cookie is a “sweet,” tangible way to show your love and/or appreciation to anyone; shut-ins, family members in nursing homes, nurses, doctors, teachers, grandparents, children young and old, grandchildren, a friend or even to love yourself. I’ve been making this cookie for 20 years for my daughter’s happy-half birthday, and she shares them with her co-workers at the (Bowling Green, Kentucky) Medical Center’s surgery department.

When I saw children expressing love to shut-ins from a distance by holding their hands in the shape of a heart, I was moved to re-create this cookie as a tangible gift to give. Then, I was moved to give back to those less fortunate. In addition, today, Oct. 13, would have been my father’s birthday. His name was James Clifford Redmond Sr., and he was from Ironton, Ohio.

He was a self-employed general contractor in his adult life. Growing up, we have had many homeless people sitting around our kitchen table for a meal. The homeless knew that they could always get a meal when they were hungry if they came to my dad. He had grown up hungry and learned to pitch pennies against the schoolhouse wall with the rich kids to earn enough money to buy lunch for himself and his friends. He carried this into his adult life and instilled it in me, and I have instilled it in my children. I have always wanted to give more to the hungry but have not had the financial means to do all that I wanted. So, with the virus, I’ve become aware that many nonprofit organizations have had cuts to the donations they receive.

My heart belongs to The Salvation Army and all they do. My brother was living homeless in Indianapolis, Indiana, without our family's knowledge. He was sleeping under a bush in the cold freezing rain when a man from The Salvation Army approached and asked if he would like to get in out of the weather. My brother gladly said, “Yes.” Long story short, through their kindness, he found our Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. He became a mentor to new men coming in and stayed with them for a year. We traveled to see him graduate their program and reconnected with my mother’s son and my brother. I am eternally grateful for The Salvation Army for what they did for my brother. He is now residing in heaven because of the kindness they showed him.

With the giving nature of my dad to feed the homeless, and the kindness of The Salvation Army, it is only fitting that my heart cookie raise money to feed the hungry through The Salvation Army. This large four-inch cookie comes individually wrapped. It is a sugar cookie with solid red sugar covering it. You can tie your own message to the cookie as a way of showing your love and/or appreciation to whomever you need or want to. … So, you can join me and make a little become enormous by purchasing some of our heart cookies. Spread love and kindness to others, and at the same time help feed those around us who are less fortunate. Please “share” this post. I’d like to have to make so many cookies that I have to get help. You can order your cookies by calling 270-791-6527 and visit my business Facebook page at Stoneybrooke Farm BG and like my page. We are a licensed and insured bakery.

Thank you for allowing me to share my story. Let’s show those less fortunate that “their life matters.”

Jan Dillon said she will donate a portion of cookie sales proceeds to The Salvation Army to help feed the hungry. She is the owner of the Stoneybrooke Farm bakery in Bowling Green, Kentucky. This story was posted on her Facebook page and shared by The Salvation Army Bowling Green Corps. To view the Stoneybrooke Farm page: https://bit.ly/351sAIP