‘The Cookie Movement’ Comes To Woodbury

Woodbury resident Trina Dawkins Patterson still remembers her time working in a hospital's mental health unit as a psychology major in college.

One older woman, whom she had to feed and care for each day, was combative and yelling and made a racial slur when they first met. But the woman’s tune changed after a few weeks with Patterson.

“She said, ‘You are so kind to me. Thank you for everything you’ve done,'” Patterson recalled. “She told me I was her friend.”

That was just one experience that led her to establish what she calls “The Cookie Movement,” which is aimed at creating an atmosphere of respect and relationship-building through public speaking, seminars and the recent publication of her book, A Tale of Two Cookies.

The children’s book, the first of three she plans to publish, is a “character-development” piece that illustrates how even though people are different on the outside, “we can still be friends,” Patterson said.

The book—which is also interactive and asks young readers to act out everything from the sound of birds to raindrops falling—is meant to spark discussion. There are questions included in the back of the book for parents and teachers to “open up that dialogue,” she said.

Patterson, a Flint, Mich., native who has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in administration, initially started working for General Motors. She soon discovered, however, that she would rather be “teaching, encouraging, motivating.”

She later moved to working on personal and professional development for college students and doing public speaking. Her message is one of self-esteem, creating healthy relationships and “making wise life choices.”

Patterson urges people to talk about their differences and ask questions. The overriding theme for the “Cookie Movement,” she said, is simply kindness and respect.

“Do that, and you will definitely come out on top,” she said.

The book can be purchased online on Amazon, and locally at www.itascabooks.com and through her website, www.thecookiemovement.com.