Christmas cookies help missionaries, women's groups

Thanksgiving break is gone, and the Christmas season is now upon us, bringing good times with family and friends, a long break from classes and fun traditions unique to the season, including making Christmas cookies. Fun to bake, decorate and -- of course -- eat, these treats attracted many local guests to a local church Friday and Saturday.\nThe women of St. Mark's Methodist Church organized their annual Cookie Shoppe sale. Myriam Wood, who coordinated the Cookie Shoppe Project, said the sale is used for philanthropy.\n"The Cookie Shoppe is organized by the St. Mark's United Methodist Women," Wood said. "It is strictly a fund-raiser for money that is used for missions work. The money goes to women's groups."\nWood mentioned specifically some of the groups benefitted by the sale's proceeds.\n"We contribute to nationally recognized groups as well as local groups such as Middleway House, the Shalom Center and childcare programs sponsored by (Monroe County United Ministries)," she said.\nWood said the idea came from Janice Arbesen.\n"She came to us about six or seven years ago with the idea. She had heard that other women's groups were doing something like this to raise money, and we decided to try it here at St. Mark's," she said.\nSigns were posted all around the entrance to St. Mark's to direct the public to the cookie sale, which was in a room full of sweet treats and friendly people. \nThe smell of the cookies and candies filled the whole room. After examining and selecting from the dozens of cookie varieties, patrons proceeded to the checkout counter. There, the ladies of St. Mark's volunteered their time to weigh the boxes and inform their customers of their total -- all cookies cost $10 per pound.\nThough the sale lasted two days, Wood said most visitors prefer to select cookies early.\n"The sale ends on Saturday afternoon, but the main sale time is on Friday," she said.\nAside from raising money, the sale affects the church community by bringing the women of the church together.\n"Women donate sweets to the sale. In preparation for the sale, we have one or two baking sessions where all the women get together and bake. Otherwise, the baking is done at home. On the Thursday before the sale begins, we have one last big session. This is where we all get together to decorate and finalize our sweets before the sale," Wood said.\nWood was unable to determine the total number of visitors, but she did say everything went extremely well at the sale.\n"(The sale) was a success. The St. Mark's women are looking forward to the Cookie Shoppe sale next year and also looking forward to helping out around the community," she said.