Wanna Fight Back Against Workplace Pervs? Buy These Christmas Cookies
Having a hard time getting into the holiday spirit, what with the daily revelations of famous, powerful dudes as sexual predators?
Fight back with Christmas cookies.
In a case of excellent timing, 20 Chicago restaurants — Rick Bayless’ Frontera Grill among them—are teaming up on a holiday bake sale that’s using cookies to raise funds for Chicago-based charities, including an organization focused on combating violence against women in the workplace.
“What’s better than a cookie as a vessel for social change?” asked Justin Behlke, the mastermind behind the bake sale, along with partner Eva PenzeyMoog.
Here’s how it works: To donate, simply order a box of cookies (click here). Two different options are available — the Sleigh Bell Box and the Snowfall Box —containing one cookie from each of 10 participating restaurants and bakeries. The cost is $75; proceeds will be split among three charities.
If that price seems steep for fewer than a dozen cookies, Behlke said, “We hope the driving factor is to support these causes.”
A similar sale in February raised $37,000 for Planned Parenthood of Illinois.
“It was right after the election and people were like, ‘This is what we need,’” Behlke said.
He and PenzeyMoog decided to revive the concept for the holiday season, this time to benefit neighborhood nonprofits.
“We wanted to focus on Chicago as a community. What are some of the biggest issues out there?” Behlke explained.
Sexual assault and workplace harassment bubbled to the top, as did immigration rights.
That led Behlke and PenzeyMoog to choose Organized Communities Against Deportations and Healing to Action as the bake sale’s primary beneficiaries.
Emailing donors of his previous campaign, Behlke wrote, “Not only will you get delicious cookies for the holidays but again you will be a part of a powerful fundraising effort that stands tall amidst our still dreary political climate.”
A small portion of the proceeds will also support Pilot Light, where Behlke works as culinary director. The program seeks to provide food and nutrition education to Chicago Public Schools students.
Behlke, formerly of Kitsune and Elizabeth restaurants, tapped into his deep well of industry contacts to recruit contributors to the sale, reeling in commitments from not only Frontera but the Michelin-starred chefs at Oriole and Parachute, as well as rock stars of Chicago’s baking scene, including Hoosier Mama and Bang Bang Pie.
None of the restaurant owners expressed concern that they might offend patrons by taking a seeming political stance, Behlke said.
“The restaurants have a very clear voice, it’s very clear what they stand for,” he said.
Each restaurant has pledged 500 cookies, for a total of 1,000 boxes available for order. Behlke teased chocolate peppermint from Nico Osteria and smoked vanilla from Cellar Door Provisions among the treats donors can expect.
In dividing the 20 participants between two boxes, Behlke’s strategy was to achieve parity among the contributors if not their product: “I made sure not to overload one [box] with too many famous chefs,” he said.
Like a dinner party host crafting a seating chart, he also attempted to arrive at an even split between restaurants and bakeries in each box; to keep “friends” together; and to separate competitors.
In the Snowfall Box: Cellar Door Provisions, Old Irving Brewing, Oriole, Dimo’s, Fat Rice, Nico Osteria, Bang Bang Pie Shop, Loba Pastry and Parachute.
In the Sleigh Bell Box: Floriole, SoHo House, Katherine Anne Confections, Quiote, Lula, Giant, Colibrì, Hoosier Mama Pie Company and Frontera.
Could cookies-for-causes become a regular thing?
“I think I have a pipe dream of making this a foundation,” but the concept is dependent on finding issues that people feel fired up about enough to act, Behlke said.
Orders for the holiday cookies will be accepted through Dec. 14, or until the supply sells out. The boxes are pickup only, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dec. 16–17, at The Roof Crop, 1516 W. Carroll Ave.
Shipping is not an option, Behlke stressed, nor is there any wiggle room on the pickup dates.
Unclaimed boxes will be donated to shelters, he said.
For a taste of what’s in store, here’s a look at the Planned Parenthood cookie box:
