From District Roundup
Cookie outreach

Knoxville: On Christmas Eve, Cokesbury UMC did a massive cookie outreach, delivering more than 700 dozen goodies to about 300 destinations. With cookies baked by Cokesbuy members, about 125 families shuttled off to police departments, fire stations, hospitals, nursing homes, convenience stores, and other retail businesses. The Christmas Eve ministry started four years ago as a response to Sept. 11, says the Rev. Stephen DeFur. "We wanted to thank our firefighters, police officers, and medical personnel for their sacrifice. Since then, it has become a way to reach out with kindness to the community."

Tazewell: In mid-December, Virginia Avenue UMC planned to deliver hundreds of home-baked cookies to four area schools. But a couple of snowy days closed the schools and foiled the Rev. Terry Goodman's plans, forcing him to come up with "Plan B." When Goodman himself delivered 750 cookies to Bluefield's fire department, rescue squad, police station, pharmacy, and a doctor's office, he was met with "lots of smiles" and "promises to share."