Now you can eat chocolate chip cookies and support Black Lives Matter at the same time

Eating chocolate chip cookies is probably the most delicious way to support Black Lives Matter in Toronto right now.

Melanie Chung, a Grade 12 student who has been baking since childhood, started Cookies by Mel as a way to keep busy during the pandemic but quickly turned the project into a fundraiser. The service allows you to order homemade chocolate chip cookies online for delivery in Markham and Richmond Hill.

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in just 12 days, we have raised a total of $284.48!! thank you for all your support!!•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• **this is a correction from the value posted yesterday - after reviewing the orders from may 19 (start of fundraising) to now, i’ve realized there was an error in the total value. a portion of the previous amount will be counted towards june’s final total** •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 15% of this month’s sales will be going towards the black lives matter movement. the rest of the money raised will be going to the markham food bank. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• we must show support and solidarity, while keeping in mind others in our local community who do not have access to basic physiological needs. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• thank you for your continued support! i’ve enjoyed baking for every single one of you who have ordered, and i’m hoping i can bake for everyone else here 💛

A post shared by melanie (@cookiesbymel_) on Jun 4, 2020 at 2:15pm PDT

"Before the pandemic, I would bake for my friends and teachers on their birthdays or for holidays," says Chung. "I've always gotten positive feedback from them, so I knew that other people would like my cookies as well. For me, baking is a stress reliever, and it is always so rewarding to see people enjoying my baked goods."

When business started to pick up, Chung quickly pivoted the project into a fundraiser.

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A post shared by melanie (@cookiesbymel_) on Jun 9, 2020 at 11:16am PDT

"I felt that other people needed the money more than I did, especially those who do not have access to basic physiological needs. As a result, I decided to donate to Markham Food Bank, whose goal is to help alleviate food insecurity," says Chung.

"The current events with the Black Lives Matter movement have also spurred me to donate 15 per cent of May's profits to Campaign Zero, an organization that aims to end police brutality."

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A post shared by melanie (@cookiesbymel_) on May 30, 2020 at 10:44am PDT

"in just 12 days, we have raised a total of $284.48!! thank you for all your support!!" reads the caption to an Instagram post from June 4. "15% of this month’s sales will be going towards the black lives matter movement. the rest of the money raised will be going to the markham food bank."

Chung acknowledges the support of her parents, saying her dad has been helping with deliveries, her mom has been spreading the word, and they're covering electricity and gas for the project so she can donate as much money as possible.

"I set a goal of $5,000 that I am hoping to reach by the end of August," says Chung. "People have been skeptical and wondering if I set my goal too high. I always try to achieve the impossible when I am setting goals in my personal life, and it would have felt wrong to set the donation goal too low."

by Amy Carlberg via blogTO