Baking Memories 4 Kids Helps Create Life-Changing Experiences for Kids

Baking Memories 4 Kids is a national, nonprofit foundation located in Rockland County that bakes and sells cookies to provide all-expense paid vacations for children with life threatening or terminal illnesses. Beginning Nov. 1 each year, volunteers throughout the county help sell their delicious chocolate chip cookies for about eight weeks (until the end of the year) or until the cookies run out. All the profits from this fundraising effort, along with additional donations, go toward surprising children with a week-long family vacation to all the theme parks in Orlando, FL, including Disney World. Thanks to Baking Memories 4 Kids, more than 200 families have been able to create amazing, lifelong memories that provide some much-needed comfort during their challenging journeys.

Baking Memories 4 Kids was founded by Frank Squeo in 2012 after he went through his own battle with cancer. When he was deemed cancer-free, he realized his bigger purpose was to help children going through the same type of battle. He decided to combine his love of baking chocolate chip cookies with his mission to provide comfort for children that had prognoses far worse than his own. Some of these terminally ill children have little to no memories of life without sickness and Squeo wanted to give them an experience they would never forget. He knows “these vacations will never erase the ordeals that these families have endured, but maybe for just a moment they will be able to put aside those thoughts and focus on the joy of living and create some positive memories,” he says—like the ones that sustained him through his own cancer battle. Squeo can often be found outside his home in Valley Cottage selling cookies and has even turned his own basement into a shipping and receiving department for the cookies to be packed and sent out to customers. 

One of the core members of the nonprofit is Squeo’s cousin Christina Metz, the senior vice president of Baking Memories 4 Kids. She enthusiastically describes the joy she and other volunteers receive from being able to give something back to their “Cookie Kids.” “We provide opportunities for these children to make memories and bond as a family. We don’t just provide a vacation, we help create memories that make a difference in the lives of these children and their families,” she says. “Helping these kids also brings meaning to our lives, not only because we are giving back but also because it reminds us to appreciate what we have and not sweat the small stuff.” Metz works year-round on fundraising, partnering with local businesses, and reviewing nominations for families.

How You Can Get Involved with Baking Memories 4 Kids

Baking Memories 4 Kids began with a few family members asking for donations in the community and then spread by word of mouth. Each year, the group of 20-25 core volunteers who “become like family” return along with new recruits to continue their mission. The foundation depends on their volunteers, the backbone of the organization, which can consist of 150-200 a day needed to bake the cookies. They have received a lot of support from Rockland corporations and local businesses, as well as high school and college students, teachers, and sports coaches who have gotten involved. If you’re not volunteering with the actual baking and selling of the cookies, there are several other ways to get involved in Baking Memories 4 Kids: