Cindy Agnes has at all times had a ardour for baking.

In 2008 when her husband Gerry, the then newly appointed President and Chief Govt Officer for Elevations Credit score Union, held a BBQ for the credit score union’s employees, she thought some selfmade cookies can be a pleasant addition to the celebration.

When the vacations got here round, Cindy added the Elevations Board of Administrators to the enjoyable, making her delectables to assist want the board a Merry Christmas and Blissful New Yr.

Since 2013, Cindy has baked not less than a dozen cookies per worker every vacation season, and he or she and Gerry ship them to all Elevations areas alongside the Entrance Vary. In 2013, Elevations had 322 staff. Quick ahead to 2022, Cindy now bakes over 7,000 cookies for the 600-plus Elevations employees. To perform this takes 398 eggs, 342 cups of flour, 297 sticks of butter and 269 cups of sugar, together with an abundance of chocolate chips, nuts, and M&M’s. She begins preparations in early November in order that, come December, she’s able to ship her delicious cookies to every of the credit score union’s areas.

The way it began

Within the early days, a pair trays of three forms of cookies had been sufficient to place smiles on everybody’s faces.

Alongside the best way, Cindy figured offering for extra than simply the employees at BBQ’s and for a board assembly was wanted. She expanded her operations to incorporate the complete firm. In 2017 she recruited one in every of her daughters, Kristin Agnes, to assist her bake, adorn and package deal the cookies.

“I really like the employees!” Cindy stated. “All of them work so laborious, they usually’re identical to household. Because the Elevations household grew, we simply began making extra cookies. I make plenty of cookies as a result of it’s vital to me to have the employees have sufficient to convey some residence to their households and neighbors.”

Because the Elevations group grew annually, so did Cindy’s baking efforts. Although she and Kristin nonetheless make all of the cookies in her residence kitchen, she’s acquired three stand mixers and three chest freezers for all of the ready dough ready patiently for baking day.

Nonetheless, when baking is completed, the undertaking nonetheless must be accomplished. Cindy, Kristin, and Gerry then package deal and cargo up all of the cookies for supply — a course of that often lasts a few days.

Labor of affection

The gargantuan act of carrying out an endeavor of this caliber exhibits how massive Cindy’s coronary heart is. Oh, and he or she’s at all times keen to share her scrumptious recipes!

She additionally will get suggestions from the employees annually, serving to her enhance for the following season. These might embrace packing containers for employees to take residence cookies, extra fan-favorite flavors, and even an improved approach to ship cookies utilizing giant catering packing containers as a substitute of trays.

On the subject of recipes, Cindy is at all times open to making an attempt one thing new. In 2021, as an illustration, she debuted the “Grinch” cookie — a inexperienced cookie with a pink coronary heart. (We might neither verify nor deny the center being two sizes too small.)

The yearly cookie-making occasion organically grew annually out of Cindy’s love for baking. She at all times made cookies for her youngsters after they had been rising up, and when Cindy and Gerry had been youthful, she made and offered her cinnamon rolls.

She handed on her love of baking to her two daughters and son, Eric. Her daughter Nicole even went to culinary college and have become a pastry chef, whereas her daughter Kristin helps plan the cookie provides buying and enjoys serving to bake and adorn annually.

Concerned course of

On the subject of logistics, it turns into a household affair. Cindy and all three kids put collectively a listing of provides and plan the cookie listing, and Gerry supplies a depend of Elevations group members at every location. When the massive day arrives, Cindy, Kristin, and Gerry’s baking, boxing and organizing runs late into the night and thru the following morning, when deliveries begin.

Gerry and Cindy begin up north in Fort Collins and work their means south on I-25, hitting every department, mortgage workplace and back-office location for a complete of 20 stops.

Not even a worldwide pandemic might cease Cindy. In 2020, when a lot on the planet got here to a screeching halt, Cindy, Kristin, and Gerry determined to proceed the custom with some modifications. With assist from the group, they boxed and delivered cookies to each worker.

When all was stated and carried out, the couple stated probably the most difficult half was not having the ability to convey trays to all of the branches and need everybody a Merry Christmas and Blissful New Yr.

At Elevations, work-life steadiness and worker satisfaction are massive priorities. An environment like that begins on the prime, and Cindy and Gerry’s dedication and thoughtfulness are actually an enormous a part of that tradition.