In The Lakes, A Teen Shows What Community Is All About

If being part of a community means not just gathering with others but caring deeply about others, then Daniela Ortiz is the very picture of community. What did 14-year-old Daniela do? Oh, just baked about 600 cookies and raised thousands of dollars for a local charity. 

And this isn’t the first time.

For seven years running, Daniela and her mom, Jill Bernadino, have baked cookies to support Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, a nonprofit that raises money to commission grants for pediatric cancer research. Last year, Daniela and Jill baked 56 dozen cookies and raised $23,000. This year their goal was to cook up 50 dozen cookies (in 10 different varieties, including a dog cookie) and raise $18,000. And no doubt they accomplished something wonderful. And delicious.

Learn more about Daniela and her cookie-based community efforts here and here.