Worcester, MA - Baking has always been a passion for Veronica Adams. But after reading about the hundreds of Afghan evacuees expected to resettle in Worcester, she wanted to put her passion to good use.

"So I've always, upon travelling, had this feeling of how wild is it that when people can have a similar life to mine but just be born in a different country, their situation is so drastically different," Adams said. "And it's just, I always felt it's not super fair that I have these great opportunities."

Adams owns and operates The Cookie Lady's Daughter. She spent the week baking cookies and decorating sugar cookies, and selling them as a way to fundraise for evacuees.

What You Need To Know

  • Local cookie maker Veronica Adams raised money for Afghan refugees with a cookie fundraiser

  • Adams raised more than $700, and made a matching donation to bring the total past $1,400

  • The funds will benefit Ascentria Care Alliance, who is helping resettle evacuees in Worcester
  • Evacuees are expected to started arriving in Worcester as early as this week

"I was just thinking their whole lives have been uprooted, how unfortunate that they have to go through this," said Adams.

As of Saturday, Adams raised more than $700. A matching donation from her will push the total past $1,400.

"It's pretty highlighted that there's a lot of people struggling through this time and just finding ways to help those people," said Carl Basdeo, Adams' fiancé.

It's why the money raised is going to nonprofit Ascentria Care Alliance.

"Getting them in, finding them food, getting them set up with benefits they're eligible for, if any," said Ascentria's Chief of Strategic Development Jeffrey Kinney. "Getting them started to the extent they need English language training."

The nonprofit is also tasked with finding evacuees housing, but a shortage in the area has made it difficult, especially since they're expecting the arrival of evacuees in Worcester this week.

"We're getting tremendous support from the community," Kinney said. "People are reaching out saying they've got an extra bedroom or they've got an in-law apartment or they've got a second home where we can put people on an interim basis."

Worcester is preparing for up to 400 people. In the meantime, Adams is hoping to cook up another fundraiser for the evacuees as early as this week.

"It has been fun to have cookies as a way to bring joy," said Adams. "Cookies are an awesome way to spread joy to people so if you can use that as an avenue to raise money and kind of get this passion project kicked off, then that's just been a plus for us."