Dean C. Bryant, special agent in charge of the FBI St. Louis Division, recently presented the Director’s Community Leadership Award to Angel Baked, an after-school program based in North St. Louis. The organization was honored for engaging and empowering high school students in the Jeff-Vanderlou neighborhood by offering them job opportunities to operate a cookie-baking business.
“Angel Baked is an example of how you don’t have to be a giant corporation or have unlimited funds to make a real impact,” Bryant said. “This is a creative effort to help solve a community problem.”
Agents at each of the 56 FBI field offices across the country annually select and award one local individual or organization for their efforts in combating crime, terrorism, drugs and violence.
Past local award recipients include Anthony Thompson of Kwame Building Group, Pastor B. T. Rice of New Horizon 7th Day Christian Church and Martin Mathews of the Mathews-Dickey Boys’ & Girls’ Club.
Angel Baked co-founder Gary Meier said neither he nor his staff had ever heard of the award.
“We looked it up online and then realized, ‘Hey, this is a pretty big deal. This is not a little bitty thing. This is a nationally-recognized award,’” Meier said.
Prayer is the most powerful tool to combat any social ill, Meier said. In 2007, Meier was pastor of Saints Teresa and Bridget Church when he held neighborhood meetings to discuss the violent crimes plaguing the area and helped to establish Angel Baked.
In addition to working for a paycheck, students are required to participate in workshops throughout the year on topics like conflict resolution, communication skills and anger management. Currently, there are 16 students participating in the program.
“Communication and anger management are key things that are required to live a life without violence,” Meier said.
The program stresses the value of education, and students are encouraged to stay in school. “Last year was the first time since we created Angel Baked six years ago that 100 percent of the student employees continued on to higher education,” he said.
Angel Baked sells some 1,500 cookies per week, Meier said, and the goal is to eventually sell 6,000 cookies per week. Currently, Angel Baked cookies are sold in boutiques like high schools, colleges and universities, coffee and gift shops.
Meier said Angel Baked’s next venture is to branch out into retail. Angel Baked is testing the market by selling cookies at Schnucks located at Grand and Gravois, he said. He hopes to expand into other grocery stores in the future.
For the past five years, the FBI has held a national ceremony in Washington, D.C. where the FBI director personally presented the award to each honoree. One representative from Angel Baked will attend the 2013 national ceremony next April on behalf of the organization.
