Decorate a cookie or get a gift wrapped for charity in Calgary

With the spirit to give back this holiday season, charities in Calgary are using creative methods to raise funds for those in need.

Meals on Wheels has set up its “Cookie Kitchen,” and Cystic Fibrosis has set up a wrapping station at the Southcentre Mall in Calgary for the holidays.

Shoppers can donate money in exchange for decorating cookies and getting their gifts wrapped.

Six-year-old Evan Moskowitz, who visited the cookie kitchen and decorated a cookie, says it’s been fun.

“Christmas is the season of giving. And then they give you like a cookie, and then you decorate it with like sprinkles and marshmallows,” Evan said.

Not only kids but everyone visiting the cookie kitchen seemed to have a great time decorating these locally baked goodies by Bakeri by Jess.

A child decorates cookies inside Southcentre Mall in Calgary on Friday, Dec. 16, 2022. (Henna Saeed, CityNews photo)

Karen McKeogh, the Communications Manager for Meals on Wheels, says Calgarians are going above and beyond in donating this year.

“We are definitely above our target for this year, [which] is 8,000 cookies, and that’s what we did last year. So, of course, if we run out, we’ll ask the baker to make more, so we’ll have enough to get us until Christmas Eve,” McKeogh said.

“The response has been great. And so far, we’ve raised over $15,000, Which is great. We’re hoping to get to 20,000, and we’re getting there. So we’re very happy about it.”

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The Cookie Kitchen is run by 300 volunteers who work three shifts daily in pairs of two.

One hundred and fifty volunteers manage the Cystic Fibrosis “Wrapping for a Cure” stations set up in Calgary, with one at the Southcentre Mall and the second one at the Northhill Centre.

Volunteers wrap gifts at the Cystic Fibrosis wrapping station inside Southcentre Mall in Calgary on Friday, Dec. 16, 2022. (Henna Saeed, CityNews photo)

Jeanette Demers-Weir, Alberta regional manager for Cystic Fibrosis Canada, says it’s a cause very near to their heart.

“We’re here to help you wrap up your holidays, wrap up your Christmas, and our volunteers love to wrap the gifts. And at the same time, you’re helping us, but we want to help you,” Demers-Weir said.

Karen Morland, a volunteer at the wrapping station, says she enjoys spending her time for charity.

“What we love to do is just to help our fellow man, and so volunteering is kind of what we do, and we are out here having fun, get a little creative, wrap some gifts and help out in the meantime,” she said.

Both these stalls will run till Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, at the Southcentre Mall in Calgary from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.