Warm-A-Heart Gingerbread Program
Think of the Warm-A-Heart Gingerbread Program as a kindness movement that wraps the community in a warm embrace over the holidays.
It starts with a team of compassionate bakers from Ellie’s and Gracie’s restaurants in Providence who spend hours during the holiday season mixing, shaping and baking thousands of gingerbread people before passing them on to other team members for packaging and sealing.
It continues with volunteers from organizations and businesses from across Rhode Island coming together at Miriam Hospital to assemble Warm-A-Heart Gingerbread decorating kits – complete with an 8” gingerbread person, individually-packaged candies and icing – for use as a fundraiser.
The program moves further along the kindness chain when the beautifully-boxed kits are purchased by caring people with a loved one in mind, at a variety of locations across the state. The magic continues when the box is opened and wide eyes discover a craft and a treat all in one – and learn that their gift has helped raise funds for Rhode Island families in need.
The culmination of this kindness movement? Warmth. Warm winter clothing items, warm fluffy pillows and blankets and warm hearts for families in need and cancer patients struggling to pay bills.
By the Numbers
- 100% of the proceeds benefit families in need
- 2019 holiday season marks 10th anniversary
- In 2009 (Year 1): 700 kits were created & sold
- In 2018 (Year 9): 5,000 kits were created & sold
- Gingerbread Kits produced since inception: 16,800
- Families helped since inception: more than 5,500
