Meal kits like this one are created by The Community Gourmet and are designed to help people who need food. So far, 120 kits have been distributed to food pantries. The Community Gourmet is offering homemade chocolate linzer cookies for Father’s Day at a suggested $15 per dozen donation. Courtesy photo

KENNNEBUNK – Ordering a dozen delectable homemade chocolate linzer cookies for Father’s Day can help provide meal kits and recipes for those with limited access to food.

The Community Gourmet is offering a dozen cookies for a suggested donation of $15. The money goes to creating meal kits that can be used alone or in concert with other foods available at food pantries and farmers markets.

Founder Traci Anello creates meals of nonperishable foods as a way to help people stretch their food budgets.

While she is creating several kits, the first includes dry pasta, tomato sauce, parmesan cheese, mayo and two pizza crusts. It also comes with recipes, suggestions, and a cooking implement.

“For our Mothers’ Day fundraiser, we borrowed a commercial kitchen and baked 45 dozen raspberry linzer cookies and advertised them on The Community Gourmet Facebook page, for a suggested donation of $15 per dozen,” said Anello. “The response was overwhelming, and allowed us to create many, many kits that have been distributed throughout southern Maine and New Hampshire.”

“We’re doing another fundraiser for Fathers’ Day, June 19, when we will be offering chocolate linzer cookies for a suggested donation of $15 per dozen”, she said.

Since the beginning in January of this year, The Community Gourmet distributed 120 kits through York County Shelter Food Pantry, the Little Pantry at the Kennebunk Chamber of Commerce, and local churches.

For Father’s Day cookies, message The Community Gourmet on its Facebook page or email thecommunitygourmet@gmail.com. It accepts Venmo: @thecommunitygourmet or cash at pickup, set for 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, June Kennebunk Kennebunkport, and Arundel Chamber of Commerce on Water Street

Each donation of $15 creates 21 servings of a nutritious meal.