Cookie Monster Best Practices
- based on team size, figure out how many dozens each team member needs bring to provide about 3,800 dozen (30 resident participants) for the whole weekend. For a team size of 32 that equates to 120dozen from each team member.
- provide packaging instructions and “do’s” and “don’ts” at team meetings
- encourage each team member to reach out to people they know at work, neighbors, and other church friends. Getting others involved is a great way to share your faith (and why you're going inside a state prison). I've had a number of people at work bake cookies - then after the weekend you can share the experience and the letter signed by the residents.
- remind team members to ask others to bake cookies at multiple team meetings.
- during team meetings determine who is not able to deliver cookies on Saturday distribution due to physical limitations. Those with back problems can be paired with someone not impaired.
- as cookies are brought to the church or truck, segregate specials from other cookies
- count cookies as they are loaded on the truck.
- on Thursday of the Weekend, make sure the coordinator knows to have 30- 2 dozen bags of cookies ready for when residents leave (you may be hosting).
- on Thursday or Friday morning of the Weekend, obtain pod population from Chaplain
- on Thursday of the Weekend, obtain number of Kairos graduates coming to the Closing on Sunday from Chaplain
- on Friday of Weekend, separate boxes of cookies to go to each pod.Tell the Chaplain how boxes of cookies will be delivered to each pod on Saturday morning. It may be 2 gators or it may be golf cart with trailer.
- mark each box, on both ends, of cookies with the pod the box is going to (ie “1A,”, “2A”, etc)
- on Friday of Weekend, separate boxes of cookies for Kairos graduates coming to Closing. Include a bag of the new graduates
- Before Thursday of the Weekend determine who will go to each pod on Saturday based on pod population,When determining who will go where for distribution, it's best to pair a Kairos "rookie" with a veteran.Create an assignment and sign in and out sheet(s). See second sheet.
- requires everyone leaving the chapel signs out and signs in upon return.
- When putting cookies out for the whole weekend on the tables try and to use all the specials by Sunday.
- Assemble 30 small paper bags containing 8 cookies (specials) to be handed to the participants as they enter the Chapel building on Thursday and each morning instead of setting cookies out with the drinks.
SATURDAY MORNING
- cookies are delivered to fire stairwells at pods. Two 2 team member teams are utilized along with CO/Chaplains and gators/golf carts. See second page for pod allocations.
SATURDAY NIGHT
- residents receive 2 bags of cookies (regular plus forgiveness)
CLOSING SETUP
- following is completed during “lock-down” and “count”
- after loading truck on Sunday, move 2 tables immediately from the cookie room to the “pull up” room
- move cookies from cookie room to “pull up” room
- as cookies are being moved, move 2 more tables to “pull up” room
- distribute cookies bags through the door opening from the ‘pull up’ room to the hallway leading from the gym to the yard as residents leave the Closing.
POD# of residents# of dozen cookies
1A136272
1B68136
1C63126
1D68136
2A136272
2B128256
2C128256
2D128256
3A128256
3B128256
3C128256
3D128256
Seg80160
Medical510
Total # of residents1452
Each resident is given
2 dozen cookies
Total # of cookies 2904 dozen
COOKIE DISTRIBUTION PERSONNEL ACCOUNTABILITY
Team members are required to sign out when leaving the chapel to distribute cookies and sign in when returning to the chapel after distributing cookies. Use the following format:
Name (printed or typed)PODSign OutSign In
John Smith1A