Cindy Agnes has all the time had a ardour for baking.
In 2008 when her husband Gerry, the then newly appointed President and Chief Government Officer for Elevations Credit score Union, held a BBQ for the credit score union’s employees, she thought some home made cookies can be a pleasant addition to the celebration.
When the vacations got here round, Cindy added the Elevations Board of Administrators to the enjoyable, making her delectables to assist want the board a Merry Christmas and Pleased New 12 months.
Since 2013, Cindy has baked at the very least a dozen cookies per worker every vacation season, and she or he and Gerry ship them to all Elevations places alongside the Entrance Vary. In 2013, Elevations had 322 workers. Quick ahead to 2022, Cindy now bakes over 7,000 cookies for the 600-plus Elevations employees. To perform this takes 398 eggs, 342 cups of flour, 297 sticks of butter and 269 cups of sugar, together with an abundance of chocolate chips, nuts, and M&M’s. She begins preparations in early November in order that, come December, she’s able to ship her delicious cookies to every of the credit score union’s places.
The way it began
Within the early days, a pair trays of three kinds of cookies have been sufficient to place smiles on everybody’s faces.
Alongside the best way, Cindy figured offering for extra than simply the employees at BBQ’s and for a board assembly was wanted. She expanded her operations to incorporate the whole firm. In 2017 she recruited considered one of her daughters, Kristin Agnes, to assist her bake, beautify and bundle the cookies.
“I really like the employees!” Cindy stated. “All of them work so laborious, and so they’re similar to household. Because the Elevations household grew, we simply began making extra cookies. I make plenty of cookies as a result of it’s vital to me to have the employees have sufficient to deliver some dwelling to their households and neighbors.”
Because the Elevations staff grew annually, so did Cindy’s baking efforts. Although she and Kristin nonetheless make all of the cookies in her dwelling kitchen, she’s acquired three stand mixers and three chest freezers for all of the ready dough ready patiently for baking day.
Nonetheless, when baking is finished, the venture nonetheless must be accomplished. Cindy, Kristin, and Gerry then bundle and cargo up all of the cookies for supply — a course of that normally lasts a few days.
Labor of affection
The gargantuan act of undertaking an endeavor of this caliber exhibits how huge Cindy’s coronary heart is. Oh, and she or he’s all the time prepared to share her scrumptious recipes!
She additionally will get suggestions from the employees annually, serving to her enhance for the following season. These may embody containers for workers to take dwelling cookies, extra fan-favorite flavors, and even an improved strategy to ship cookies utilizing massive catering containers as an alternative of trays.
In relation to recipes, Cindy is all the time open to making an attempt one thing new. In 2021, for example, she debuted the “Grinch” cookie — a inexperienced cookie with a pink coronary heart. (We may neither verify nor deny the guts being two sizes too small.)
The yearly cookie-making occasion organically grew annually out of Cindy’s love for baking. She all the time made cookies for her youngsters after they have been rising up, and when Cindy and Gerry have been youthful, she made and offered her cinnamon rolls.
She handed on her love of baking to her two daughters and son, Eric. Her daughter Nicole even went to culinary college and have become a pastry chef, whereas her daughter Kristin helps plan the cookie provides procuring and enjoys serving to bake and beautify annually.
Concerned course of
In relation to logistics, it turns into a household affair. Cindy and all three kids put collectively a listing of provides and plan the cookie record, and Gerry offers a rely of Elevations staff members at every location. When the massive day arrives, Cindy, Kristin, and Gerry’s baking, boxing and organizing runs late into the night and thru the following morning, when deliveries begin.
Gerry and Cindy begin up north in Fort Collins and work their method south on I-25, hitting every department, mortgage workplace and back-office location for a complete of 20 stops.
Not even a worldwide pandemic may cease Cindy. In 2020, when a lot on the planet got here to a screeching halt, Cindy, Kristin, and Gerry determined to proceed the custom with some modifications. With help from the staff, they boxed and delivered cookies to each worker.
When all was stated and carried out, the couple stated essentially the most difficult half was not with the ability to deliver trays to all of the branches and need everybody a Merry Christmas and Pleased New 12 months.
At Elevations, work-life stability and worker satisfaction are huge priorities. An environment like that begins on the high, and Cindy and Gerry’s dedication and thoughtfulness are actually an enormous a part of that culture.
