The name Cowboy Tom and his business Cookies for Kindness are becoming more and more well known in the Reno community. We first featured him in December 2020.
This year, the former cook in the Air Force, is preparing to serve over 1500 families with dinner kits during the Thanksgiving period, more than double his number last year, and he wants to keep growing, as currently there are many challenges due to the lingering pandemic.
“I am looking at 2022 being a banner year,” he said.
Each kit this year will have enough food to feed a family of six with leftovers. Included in each is all of the Thanksgiving essentials, including a turkey, pumpkin pie, coffee, spice packets, gravy, produce, butter, cranberries, stuffing, hand sanitizer, and cooking instructions.
The refrigerator truck donated to Tom, has 22,099 lbs of turkeys and 1500 pumpkin pies. Photo taken by Maggie Durling
These kits are going to community members in need. Most will go to families who are struggling financially, including some National Guard families who weren’t able to work because of the pandemic. The rest of the kits will go to local non-profits who will distribute them to the communities they serve.
The first 125 meals kits went out to non-profits on November 18. The rest of the kits will start to be distributed on November 22, with already 500 people signed up for the first day.
Private donors and non-profits are the reason Tom has been able to make this happen. Some donate money and others donate resources like folding tables or a massive refrigerator truck. He was able to collect $90,000 this year.
Between his holiday meals and his own business Cookies for Kindness, Tom has a lot going on. He says he maintains his energy in a few different ways.
“Coffee and just helping all of those people,” he said while at work. “I can whine about my pain, or I can feel the joy of giving to my community. Joy wins every time.”
As a disabled veteran, Tom knows what it is like to struggle. He said several times that if it wasn’t for his cookie business and community supporters he too would be homeless.
The brand new van that Tom was able to buy and insure with the help of private donors has changed the way he is able to run his business. Photo taken by Maggie Durling
The involvement from the community is what makes Tom’s work happen. This summer Tom was able to buy a new van for Cookies for Kindness, also financed by donors.
The support has also made his services and cookies more widely known.
“Every detail is super important,” says Tom. “I want them to see my heart coming out of that.”
Tom also uses the help of the Bridge Church, right across the street from Reno High School, where the bags will be distributed. He also relies on the help of volunteers and is always in need of more helping hands.