Cookies For the Front Desk is on a mission to bring a little bit of joy to the hundreds of people who work at the front desks all around our city. Founder Tamar Rubin says:

Living in New York City I encounter a lot of people who work in security and spend their very long shifts sitting at the front desks of buildings. This is often a thankless job and requires employees to work very long and sometimes oddly timed shifts. Not to mention the shift can be unbelievably boring and uneventful.

I currently work at a restaurant that throws away a ton of baked goods at the end of every day. I have started taking the leftover cookies and cupcakes and giving them to the front desk security in my apartment building, my school building, and random buildings in the area. I knew I would encounter “thank yous” but I was surprised at how much the treats are appreciated. I am met with replies like “this made my day!” and one man even told me he appreciated the cookie so much because it was his birthday.

Obviously it is a pleasant surprise to receive a baked good, but I think when you’re working a job that has you watching people pass you all day without necessarily interacting with them, a thank you or acknowledgment of your presence can mean a lot. Ultimately, my project is about telling the people who often get overlooked within the hustle and bustle of New York City, "I see you, I appreciate you and what you do, enjoy this cookie!"