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Sweet Treats Served Up At Church
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If you don't know how many varieties of cookies there are, a quick stop at Riverbank's Christ the King Community Episcopal Church would have shown you there are probably more than you realized.

The church hosted its annual 'Cookie Walk' on Saturday and Sunday and the many dozens of varieties for sale made it almost impossible to purchase just one baker's dozen.

"I would say we have about 150 varieties and there's easily over 500 dozen," said church administrator Louise McCoskey, who also serves as assistant treasurer and senior warden. "Most are made by members of the church and they are all homemade. They've been doing it for at least 10 years and I would say there is 99 percent (congregation) participation, either people are baking, or they are putting up posters to advertise, they are doing something for it."

The cookie walk is a major fundraiser for the church and McCoskey said it is a church that firmly believes in giving back to the community. They offer a Food in Faith program the third Saturday of each month, feeding anywhere between 70 to 100 families that day.

They host a yearly carnival, do a rummage sale, have a regular nursing home ministry, offer space at the church for a weekly Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and work in cooperation with the Casa del Rio on a variety of programs.

"For a little church, there's an awful lot of outreach," explained McCoskey.

Serving as pastor for the church is Father Glenn Kanestrom, and there are two Sunday services (7:45 a.m. and 10 a.m.) in addition to Sunday School (9:15 a.m.)

"For every two dollars that come in, three dollars go out," McCoskey said of the church helping to make a difference in the community.

Cookie aficionados also had the chance to purchase some handmade gift items after choosing their cookies on Saturday, with scarves, crafts and more available.

Helping wrap the cookie purchases was volunteer and church member Mary Kinnaman of Modesto.

"This is a cool church," she said, smiling.

McCoskey said all are welcome to visit the church and they also have a Facebook page that offers information, as well as a church website at www.christthekingdiosanjoaquin.org.