DIY Gingerbread Kits Help Families in Need
This is the seventeenth year that the Ellie's team has worked with the Miriam Hospital to produce gingerbread-decorating kits.
A Warm-A-Heart Gingerbread Kit. (credit JWessel Photography)
Even though they came from cookie-cutters, these gingerbread men and women are not all the same. This is the seventeenth year that the Ellie’s team has worked with the Miriam Hospital to produce the Warm-A-Heart Gingerbread-decorating kits to benefit families in need. Each $10 kit comes with a gingerbread man or woman baked that same day at Ellie’s, as well as individual packets of gum drops, red and green sprinkles, chocolate chips, mini-M&Ms, a tube of icing and more – all assembled in an adorable gift box with a gingerbread ribbon. They make a great gift that gives back, and it’s a fun activity for kids, friends and families to do together. In the end, each gingerbread man and woman will be unique, just like the people who decorate them, and just like the people they will be helping this holiday season.
The idea began in 2010 with Joe Conlon, once a member of the Gracie’s team who now works at the Miriam Hospital. He approached the proprietor of Gracie’s and Ellie’s, Ellen Slattery, with the idea to help support the community and families in need during the holiday season. The annual initiative has donated $38,800 to local organizations in 2026, supporting food security, education, health care and families in need. This year’s program, presented by Bank of America, offers gingerbread decorating kits at participating retail locations throughout Rhode Island, with all net proceeds dedicated to supporting Rhode Island communities.
“When Ellen and I started Warm-A-Heart Gingerbread seventeen years ago, we had a simple idea: bring people together during the holidays and find a way to give back,” says Joe Conlan, board president. “We never imagined how many people would become part of this tradition. Every year, we’re reminded of the generosity of our volunteers, partners and the families who support us. It’s because of them that we can continue making a difference in our community.”
Presenting a check to FeedRI.
This year’s launch party for the gingerbread kits included a donation of a $15,000 check to FeedRI, to support its Feed the Future initiative that establishes food pantries in high-need school districts, giving students and their families easier access to fresh food. Other donations from the Warm-A-Heart Gingerbread program included $4,000 to the Mathewson Street Church, which funds one month of meals for individuals experiencing homelessness; $4,000 to Boys Town, which supports programs and services for youth facing challenging circumstances; $4,000 to Foster Forward to support youth impacted by the foster care system and efforts to improve child welfare; $4,300 to City Year to provide coats, hats, mittens, personal hygiene items and essential supplies for students in need; and $4,000 to Brown Health Cancer Centers to support cancer patients and their families.
The program also donated an additional $500 each to Angels in the Community, Higher Ground International, Refugee Dream Center, Mount Hope Neighborhood Association, Camp Street Community Ministries, Mount Hope Learning Center, and Family Services of Rhode Island.
A Warm-A-Heart Gingerbread kit produced by Ellie’s. (credit JWessel Photography)
For the kits, the Ellie’s team of pastry chefs work together daily to mix up the gingerbread dough, roll it out and cut out the cookies. The cookies are baked fresh each day, cooled, then a team of volunteers assembles the kits and packages them in a box with ribbon. This year, Johnson & Wales University is also stepping in to bake 2,000 additional gingerbread cookies and donating the ingredients.
One hundred percent of the proceeds from each kit will help families in need. The gingerbread kits are available for purchase online at elliesprov.com/gingerbread and at participating locations throughout Rhode Island, including Ellie’s, Gracie’s, Belmont Market, The Miriam Hospital and Dave’s Fresh Marketplace locations.
