2011 Banner
In This Issue
Our Newest Program: NCRC
Delivering Green Cookies
Spring Sales

Green Giving   

Help us celebrate Earth Day this month by making your next donation to Cookie Cart online!

 

Sign up to become a  "Cookie Cart Staple" by making a recurring monthly gift.  It's good for the environment! We use less paper, postage, etc. when you give on a monthly basis.

 

Learn more about the  "Cookie Cart Staple" program and make an online contribution to Cookie Cart today. 

Thank you for your support!

  

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Wilder Research

Cookie Cart continues to strive to fulfill it's mission of offering North Minneapolis youth the opportunity to develop life, leadership and employment skills.

Click here to view our latest Wilder Research Survey 

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Cookie Cart  

Board of Directors

We'd like to recognize our board members, who volunteer their time and energy to support Cookie Cart.  Thank you! 

 

Rochelle Gunn

Fran McCloskey

Susan MacHolda

Dr. Bill Barrier

Jim Berg

Al Fan

Christie Grandbois 

Anne Johnson

Bernard Jones

Mary Kloehn 

Derek Weatherford  

 

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April Newsletter

2011

Building Better Lives

Cookie Cart is excited to begin offering youth employees something new; the opportunity to earn National Career Readiness Certificates. 

The NCRC is a nationally-recognized credential that certifies attainment of three skills that are highly important to most jobs:   applied mathematics, reading for information, and locating information.  Certificates are awarded at four levels based on performance and earning the NCRC will give teens a way to show that they possess the fundamental skills needed in the workplace. These skills are valuable for any occupation - skilled or professional - and at any level of education. 

The first group of youth employees is already working toward their certificates, and we plan to offer the training to 25 young people this year.  Our program staff will identify youth employees who are good candidates for the NCRC training and then will work closely with them to assess their skill level and needs and to create lessons and materials that will help them master the skills tested in the certificate exam.  Achieving the NCRC is not easy, so a big part of this work will be helping the teens set goals for the NCRC process and determine what certificate level they should work toward.

NCRC practice

Jimmy guides youth employees through training. 


Cookie Cart recently hired Jimmy Loyd to guide the first 25 youth employees through the NCRC process and to design a training program, curriculum, and teaching materials to prepare future youth employees for the NCRC exam.  Jimmy joined the adult staff as the new NCRC manager in February 2011 and is well qualified for this role, with a strong background in workforce development.  For Jimmy, the obvious benefits of this program happen during the preparation for the exam, when young people learn to work hard and walk away feeling like they can do whatever they put their minds to.  The certificate is what sets them apart from their peers.   

Cookie Cart congratulates Marcala Boney, James Vang and Mai Zong Vang, who received their certificates as part of our test launch last year.  Five youth employees are currently training for their exams. 

You can help us continue to offer important training to teens in North Minneapolis with a donation to Cookie Cart today!  Thank you!

Cookies by Bike - Meet Randall! Randall

For Randall Dietel, the decision to go car-free was an easy one.  While studying economics at the University of Minnesota's Twin Cities campus, he realized that the financial and environmental costs of owning a car were too high. So in 2003, Randall invested in a bike as his primary mode of transportation and has been pedaling ever since. In the years since, he's turned this practical personal decision into a business by creating a bicycle delivery service for the Minneapolis area.

 

Last year, Randall's business, Mpls Courier, began delivering Cookie Cart cookie orders to Minneapolis businesses and homes.  He has become a fixture to many of our customers- delivering fresh cookies each day no matter the weather.  Many youth employees were shocked over the winter when school was cancelled because of snow or cold temperatures, but a bundled up Randall would be in the store each morning ready for duty.

 

At Cookie Cart, we appreciate the opportunity to lessen our carbon footprint by using Randall's service and Randall appreciates the opportunity to deliver a product that people are excited to receive.  "Everyone lights up when the cookie guy comes," Randall reports. 

Spring is in the Air!

Spring is here which means Earth Day, Easter, Mothers' Day, Memorial Day, and graduation are just around the corner. Cookie Cart cookies are a great addition to any celebration!  Call 612.521.0855 to order. 

 

Spring Cookies
Spring Flowers- $16 per dozen

 

Thanks for your ongoing support for Cookie Cart. 

We couldn't do it without you!

 

Sincerely,


Matt, Ann, Katie, Taronda, Sonya, Anna  

and Cookie Cart youth employees