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<\/p>\nSometimes it\u2019s the little things that can make a\u00a0big difference.<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s exactly what Grovedale\u2019s Jemima Knox has been doing for her community throughout this difficult year by baking delicious treats and offering them through a makeshift stall for anyone wishing to grab one on their way past.<\/p>\n
Jemima has always enjoyed baking and when she was out of work as an outdoor education relief teacher for a period of time this year, she turned to baking.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, it takes up a good couple of hours every day, it\u2019s systematic, I find baking quite peaceful and methodical, it\u2019s like stress relieving,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI enjoy the product and I enjoy blessing other people, it just sort of happened.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just had this idea one day, I put them out and they went, very quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n
What started off as dropping baked goods to her friends quickly turned into setting up a cardboard box full of goodies on her letterbox and has developed into an eye-catching display full of character that is equipped to handle the weather and features hand-painted and hand-written ingredients and well wishes covering the stall.<\/p>\n
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Jemima said she had been blown away by the support and joy her baked goods have given the community. Her fridge door is full of thank you notes from young members of the community all the way to the elderly who make their way from nearby retirement villages.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s my way of loving people \u2013 have something yummy that we all enjoy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople love them. People walk past and we might be leaving, and all the oldies say how much we love your cookies.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can just say, I know it\u2019s a hard year and it\u2019s a hard time, whether you\u2019ve lost your job or you can\u2019t see your family in Melbourne or whatever it might be, have a cookie. It\u2019s not going to heal you, but it might bring a smile to your face.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jemima recalls one story in particular where a thank you note was left, detailing how tough a year the person had endured and how her baking provided a rare, but important, little win.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know the life story of that person. They might have lost a job or might not be able to pay their rent or mortgage, but if a cookie or a muffin brings a smile to their face, then that\u2019s pretty good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jemima is now back at work, but that has not stopped the baking. She said whil<\/p>\n
e it is no longer every day, she is baking 2-3 times a week.<\/p>\n
If people wish to contribute financially to Jemima, there is the option to do so by dropping whatever amount you please in the letterbox. But she said clearly the money was not what it was about, seeing the pleasure it brings people and the enjoyment baking gives her is what it\u2019s all about. All the money left in her letterbox goes towards her church which contributes to a youth group she supports.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was never about me making $4 per muffin, that\u2019s not what it\u2019s for.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf me giving you one cookie makes your week then it makes it all worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anyone wishing to give Jemima\u2019s baked treats a try can take a drive along Church Street in Grovedale and it won\u2019t take long to\u00a0see the stall or the\u00a0community library.<\/p>\n
Jemima also has an Instagram page where she posts regularly and gets plenty of requests for upcoming recipes. She can be found at geelongcommunitycookies<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sometimes it\u2019s the little things that can make a\u00a0big difference. And that\u2019s exactly what Grovedale\u2019s Jemima Knox has been doing for her community throughout this difficult year by baking delicious treats and offering them through a makeshift stall for anyone wishing to grab one on their way past. Jemima has always enjoyed baking and when […]<\/p>\n