Impact C💥okbo💥k
Food is part of the heritage of fundraising and has been at the core of civil rights movement. Culinary wizards churn impact.
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Communities come together through food. A good meal is at the cornerstone of culture and traditions. But, food has a history more decadent and richer than the ingredients. Food is about fellowship and it’s those connections that ideas and change happened.
Women were instrumental in the social movements of US history and to developing the foundation of what we know as philanthropy and nonprofit organizations. Baked goods helped to grow that foundation. The story of the bake sale begins in the Victorian era - back in the 1800’s. Charity used to be thought of as a moral obligation. Men and women maintained separate roles in society. As discussed in this Smithsonian blog, women were seen as the unique guardians of morals and virtue. They were also in charge of the house duties - which included cooking and baking. These domestic skills were used to comfort and then applied further to fuel community-building events, be a form of resistance, and to shape the social progress we experience today - and maybe tomorrow.
As a means for comfort, food can remind us of home or a good memory of a person. That’s why food is sometimes called comfort food. During the Civil War, nurses would stay up late to bake goods for sick soldiers as a means to boost morale.
As a means for community-building and resistance, bake sales have a long history of raising funds or feeding the charge. In the 1950’s, bake sales were used by the Club from Nowhere which was a group of women founded by Georgia Gilmore, a cafeteria worker, who raised money to pay for the gasoline and station wagons that ferried people around Montgomery - making it possible for them to boycott the segregated bus system. This group sold pies out of beauty parlors to support the movement that was triggered by Rosa Parks.
In fact, many of the most monumental movements in history began around a kitchen or restaurant table. Food is inherently tied to social impact, progress, and change. Martin Luther King Jr frequented a restaurant called Paschal's in Atlanta that acted as a home base for the Civil Rights Movement. As the former Congressman John Lewis explained in a NY Times obituary for Robert Paschal, ''Some of the decisions that affected the direction of the country were made in that restaurant."
The power of food to create impact continues today. Currently, a group called Bakers Against Racism launched a decentralized bake sale. This means it is a global bake sale where each baker is part of the helping the general cause but individually raising funds for their chosen charities. There is no one leader, but many bakers are united under the movement. Many say - including famous chefs - that the best part about a bake sale is that it offers a causal way for everyone to come together for a dialogue and to share ideas. Plus, the small price tag to donate through a baked good makes it equitable for everyone to chip in to help out and rewarding to the taste buds to do so.
We are in a moment in history. Whatever you dish out is part of a legacy and part of a possibility. Go on…cook up something good - for good.
Calling all Culinary Wizards!
Using your special talent as a force of change is a cool way to use what you’re good at to push forward a cause you care about. When that special talent is cooking and baking - our tummies start to growl! We want to know what’s on your menu. The Impact Cookbook is here for all our fellow culinary wizards to swap stories, recipes, resources, ideas, Care Plans, and more.
Team Care Hard In Action
Check out these Care Plans that were created by Team Care Hard members who used the Impact Cookbook Care Plan prompt to craft something deliciously positive inside their community.
Getting Started
Finding a starting point is key. Below are some popular bake sale foods as well as some shared by Team Care Hard for you to consider adding to your own menu. Then use our Care Plan template to create your own.
Questions and Tips
Here are a few FAQ’s that might help you along the way!
