Uncle Charlie's Cookie Ministry

Who is this person which our local's call "Uncle Charlie" and is an inspiration to our community, let me explain:

Charles Kellenberger is an incredible individual and customer of ours. Our community calls him "Uncle Charlie". Charlie has managed to take a medical hardship and turn it into a positive ministry. This gentleman travels in a wheelchair. Having had a congestive heart failure and a massive heart attack in the year 2000, he later had a leg amputated in 2001, followed by knee replacement on the remaining leg. Yet, he says "For a guy on his last leg, I feel pretty good." Uncle Charlie was wondering how he was going to pay all of his medical bills. While he was driving to the doctor's office one day, he pondered, "Lord, I sure could use some dough, never expecting his prayer to be answered with cookie dough, so he says he made a ministry out of it. Through his many doctors' visits, he got to know the nurses quite well. Since he always saw the glass as "half full" and never "half empty", he says he would sometimes be asked to speak with patients who might be depressed at the possibility of an amputation. He would bring cookies with him to cheer them up; and on leaving, he would also leave dozens of cookies at the nurses' station saying, "I'm so and so's Uncle Charlie", please take good care of them." By word of mouth, his request grew. As you can imagine, the cost of ingredients alone became quite an issue. Then a gentleman heard of him and brought him 50 pounds of sugar, another brought him 20 pounds of flour, another 10 pounds of chocolate chips, etc. Sometimes there would be an envelope with $10.00 and a note saying, "keep up the good work." He would never know what he'd find at his doorstep. I call these donor's "Charlie's angels", uncle charlie says.

A gentleman from Chicago became a constant benefactor by supplying him with much of his raw materials monthly. His only request was that Kellenberger keep track of just how much cookies he was baking. Uncle Charlie told him " I'm not making that many ... however, he insisted, saying "your making more than you realize; So uncle Charlie agreed to keep count. "That was just 2 1/2 yrs ago, and as of July 16, He says he's baked 96,818 cookies (he does not count the special breads and other goodies) only cookies. On a Saturday alone he baked 446 for the local soup kitchen.

Uncle Charlie bakes about 3,000 cookies a month. He makes 163 different varieties from chocolate chip to oatmeal raisins, and sometimes there are specific dietary restrictions, so he tries to accommodate them as well.

The reason why Uncle Charlie bakes all of these cookies is to promote the teachings of Jesus Christ. After he bakes his cookies, he donates them to the local hospitals and social service agencies like Meals on wheels, salvation army and the local resue missions in our community. "I'd rather live the bible than read it" says Kellenberger. He makes his rounds with his "cookie ministry" several times a week - spreading the gospel with homemade cookies and "God Bless you" written on the foil covers of the containers to express his gratitude for the work they do and to comfort the hungry and the sick. Or as he puts it "just to tell them that someone loves them".

As I mentioned before Uncle Charlie started this ministry several years ago after a series of health crisis exhausted his finances and left him with one leg and confined to a wheelchair. "I've died twice in the last five years" says Uncle Charlie. "I just didn't want to sit at home and feel sorry for myself". He began baking cookies and visiting people in the hospitals, people who were sick, sometimes terminally ill. He would give them a batch of homemade cookies, sit and talk and ask to pray with them. After hurricane Charley passed through in 2004, Kellenberger swears the hurricane was named after him, he expanded his ministry to law enforcement agencies, fire departments and disaster relief organizations.

"So many people go through life without a pat on the back or just a simple "Hello" Kellenberger says. Of the 156 different kinds of cookies that Uncle Charlie bakes, the buttermilk cookies and ginger snaps are in homage to his mother, who gained a reputation in the 1940's for feeding hungry travelers and hobos passing through Morris, Minn.

Kellenberger's swedish lace are his most exotic - a paper thin cookie too fragile to transport. And his sugar cookies (Hmmm Yummy- I've had uncle Charlie's cookies personally, Hmm, Hmm good) which are made from a 146 year old family receipe.

Delivering the goods are a process in itself. On a hot afternoon in early July, Kellenberger makes his rounds in his white Dodge minivan. Using the driver's side door for support, and being careful not too put too much weight on his prosthetic leg, he fishes out his crutches and hobbles to the rear of the hatch to use the hydraulic lift to lower his electric wheelchair out of the van. Once situated, Uncle Charlie loads his lap with aluminum baking pans packed full of cookies, and makes his way on this day to the entrance of the State Marshalls office. After stopping to chat briefly with a highway patrol deputy, he enters, warmly greeted with cheers and hugs from the staff. "The world wouldn't know what to think about a one-legged, cut up guy who is really blessed. But I am, "Kellenberger says. "It's so much bigger than me. I just provide the willing hands."

My hubbie had the priviledge of meeting "Uncle Charlie." We install appliances for a living and Uncle Charlie purchased a dishwasher and our company installed it for him. After receiving the call to schedule this job and speaking to another faithful servant of the Lord, my hubbie and I decided as owners of the company that once this job was completed, his bill would read:

"The good Lord has already paid this bill for you. God Bless", Bosch Brothers., As humble as he is, he began to cry. Uncle Charlie gave each employee a batch of his cookies and also sent (3) more bags filled with homemade cookies to our office staff as well.

I want to thank Uncle Charlie for being such a faithful servant of the Lord, thank you for lending your hands and feet to allow the Lord to touch so many hearts. By you saying YES and not allowing your afflictions to weigh you down, you have gained so much more than just time on this earth, you have more importantly gained spiritual richness. I can see that by your actions. Thank you again !

It never ceases to amaze me what happens in your life when you allow the Lord to use you for his honor and Glory. Ask and it shall be given to you, knock and the door shall open, seek and you shall find.

Peace be with all of you.