By MADDY VITALE
St. Peter’s United Methodist Church in Ocean City had some guests Wednesday — high school students turned cookie makers, who made buttery confections to be delivered to homebound people from the area.
The students, from Ocean City High School’s work-based learning program, spent the afternoon squeezing out jelly onto butter cookies to make “pinchies” cookies, spreading green sugar onto cookies shaped like shamrocks and just having a good time for a good cause.
St. Peter’s United Methodist Church Senior Pastor Erik Hall summed up what the day meant.
“I think it is fantastic to be able to engage the community and provide a way to partner together with these kids in a very win-win-win way,” Pastor Hall said. “It’s a win for us, them and the community.”
Tom Frederick, a special education teacher at the high school, is also the coordinator for the school’s work-based learning program, W.A.V.E., which stands for Work, Access, Vocational, Experiences.
He brought some of his students for the cookie-making day. It was one of many he and his group of students have joined over the years.
Jen Bowman, an active member of St. Peter’s United Methodist Church, is also the adult leader of Kookie Kids.
Kookie Kids is a charitable foundation run by kids helping kids. Bowman’s family, specifically her daughter, Katie, created Kookie Kids years ago.
She recalled that Frederick called St. Peter’s Church four years ago and asked if his students could help in some way at the church, perhaps with cleaning.
“I talked to Tom and said, ‘I bet your kids could make cookies,’” Bowman explained.
That was four years ago and since then, Frederick said he and his students enjoy helping with holiday cookies and that it means a lot to his students.
The students volunteer at worksites with adult support, such as at St. Peter’s Church.
Frederick noted that the program “relies on community partners” for the program’s success.
“We like to connect them to the community so that once they leave school they will have opportunities,” Frederick said of his students of differing abilities. “I like saying that opportunities like today help with being ready for the world of work.”
Other work sites include Acme in Ocean City and in Somers Point, the Ocean City Tabernacle, the Ocean City Community Center and the Humane Society of Ocean City.
Student Jules Sardinas, 18, of Ocean City, smiled a wide grin when asked if he enjoyed baking cookies and gave a resounding yes. Another student, Nick McDaniels, 21, of Upper Township, got a little help from paraprofessional Ron Ewing.
And Louise Panico-Stewart, also a paraprofessional, worked with her student Gina Ciamella on sprinkling sugar on the shamrock-shaped cookies.
Bowman said the help from W.A.V.E. students is wonderful because it not only gives them experience learning or honing skills, but they also provide help in creating the cookies to help give homebound people a sweet surprise.
In total, the cookies will be going to 35 homebound people in the community and in neighboring communities, church officials said.
Mary Mohr, St. Peter’s United Methodist Church parish visitor, has been delivering to homebound people for more than 16 years.
“They are so happy to see someone from church,” Mohr said of the people she delivers to. “We say a prayer and we talk. It gives me so much joy. I love them all.”
She watched as the students from W.A.V.E. made the cookies.
“The people I deliver to are going to enjoy these cookies,” Mohr said.
