“Better Together, Choosing Kindness, and being Tenacious” are demonstrated throughout the daily lives of CHS Community Based Services (CBS), which include Family Engagement Services, Child Advocacy Center, Therapeutic Foster Care and Wendy’s Wonderful Kids.

When Family Engagement Specialist Sarah Crawford reached out to our North Rapid Community Police Department to participate in August’s “Hoodcakes Family Day and Bake Sale,” we came together to help the cause.

Hoodcakes Family Day was started by a neighbor who shared the idea with the community in North Rapid Knollwood (now called Sage) apartments with another neighbors. The idea kept growing and began to include monthly summer activities helping bring the neighborhood together.

Various organizations got in on the fun by donating baked goods, volunteering to organize summer games and more.

“It’s not about helping a community when we come together for these, it’s about sharing,” reads a post from July 3, 2023. “It’s important to understand that when we come together to share ourselves and what we can bring, we make good relatives. We aren’t here to sell or promote anything other than community unity, stronger relationships, and some good summer memories for the kids.”

Sarah made plans to participate in the last Hoodcakes Bake Sale of the summer and brought ingredients for the CBS team to prepare baked goods.

On Friday, August 18, staff met bright and early in the CAC kitchen. By 11:15 am they had four dozen cookies, three dozen cupcakes, a dozen muffins and two pans of brownies, all packaged to donate for the bake sale on August 27.

The Hoodcakes Family Day and Summer Activities Flyer shared promotional slogan: “We’re Slangin’ Sugar by the Ounce and Community Love by the Pound.” It was a great way to share our CHS values with the community!