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 selfmade 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 Joyful New Yr.
Since 2013, Cindy has baked no less than a dozen cookies per worker every vacation season, and he or she 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 way in which, 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 your complete firm. In 2017 she recruited one in every of her daughters, Kristin Agnes, to assist her bake, adorn and bundle the cookies.
“I really like the employees!” Cindy stated. “All of them work so onerous, and so they’re similar to household. Because the Elevations household grew, we simply began making extra cookies. I make lots of cookies as a result of it’s essential to me to have the employees have sufficient to deliver some dwelling to their households and neighbors.”
Because the Elevations group 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 completed, the mission nonetheless must be accomplished. Cindy, Kristin, and Gerry then bundle and cargo up all of the cookies for supply — a course of that often lasts a few days.
Labor of affection
The gargantuan act of conducting an endeavor of this caliber reveals how massive Cindy’s coronary heart is. Oh, and he or she’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 packing containers for employees to take dwelling cookies, extra fan-favorite flavors, and even an improved option to ship cookies utilizing giant catering packing containers as a substitute of trays.
In terms of recipes, Cindy is all the time open to attempting one thing new. In 2021, as an illustration, she debuted the “Grinch” cookie — a inexperienced cookie with a crimson coronary heart. (We may neither affirm nor deny the center 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 once 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 adorn annually.
Concerned course of
In terms of logistics, it turns into a household affair. Cindy and all three youngsters put collectively an inventory of provides and plan the cookie record, and Gerry supplies a depend of Elevations group members at every location. When the large 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 manner 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 earth got here to a screeching halt, Cindy, Kristin, and Gerry determined to proceed the custom with some adjustments. With help from the group, they boxed and delivered cookies to each worker.
When all was stated and completed, the couple stated essentially the most difficult half was not with the ability to deliver trays to all of the branches and want everybody a Merry Christmas and Joyful New Yr.
At Elevations, work-life stability and worker satisfaction are massive 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 tradition.
