HANCOCK — Copper Country Senior Meals is baking up something special for the holidays.

This year is its first cookie fundraiser.

Copper Country Senior Meals is creating and selling Holiday Cookie Boxes this December as a fundraiser.

Boxes are being sold through Sunday on the Copper Country Senior Meals website at coppercountryseniormeals.org. They can be delivered or picked up Dec. 19.

Senior Meals staff are preparing the cookies, which will come in a seasonally decorated box.

The fundraiser was inspired by another Meals on Wheels program in Loveland, Colorado, said Copper Country Senior Meals Executive Director Kathleen Harter.

“They’ve been doing holiday boxes for the last 10 years,” she said. “I had a long conversation with them, and they’re like, ‘It’s great. Give it a try.'”

The hope is to sell 100 boxes by the end of Sunday, Harter said.

There are two cookie boxes available. The $40, 18-cookie Gourmet Box boasts lemon white chocolate, caramel apple, Ghirardelli peppermint bark and more. The $20 Baker’s Dozen box includes ginger snap, cranberry chocolate, snickerdoodle, pretzel delights and more.

Staff brainstormed a mix of cookies that would be staples of any platter — snickerdoodles, sugar cookies — and personal favorites such as Mexican wedding cookies. They also divided cookies to ensure there was a variety of colors and types.

“The only thing that’s the same in both is sugar cookies,” Harter said. “Everyone needs a sugar cookie.”

Three people are preparing batches of cookies. This week is about getting the dough ready, so they’ll be baked fresh next week, Harter said. The cookies will be packaged late next week so they’re ready to go the next Monday.

The boxes can be picked up at the Senior Meals office at 821 W. Water St. in Hancock between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Dec. 19. That coincides with Copper Country Senior Meal’s Share the Love event that’s happening in conjunction with Subaru.

Supporters who stop by between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Dec. 19 can join the celebration with cake and coffee. For those who live within five miles of the office, delivery is available for no additional cost.

Subaru has been partnering with Meals on Wheels for the past 15 years. For people who purchase or lease a new Subaru between Nov. 17 and Jan. 3, they can donate $250 from the sale of that vehicle to organizations including Meals on Wheels.

By helping promote the event, Copper Country Senior Meals can qualify for funds being redistributed to local chapters. The exact amount won’t be known until spring, Harter said.

All the money from sales goes back into programs, Harter said. In addition to raising money, the fundraiser also helps Copper Country Senior Meals spread the word about what it does.

Last year, Copper Country Senior Meals distributed just over 81,000 meals a year. Five days a week, staff deliver a hot meal around lunchtime. Seniors also have the option of frozen meals for the weekend.

Staff start cooking the day’s meals at 6 a.m. in the morning, heading out around 11 a.m. to deliver them. The meals — including Thursday’s pasty, coleslaw, and berry cup — meet federal nutritional guidelines for people over 60.

“They’re low sodium, so people have the option to add a little more flavor if they’d like,” Harter said. “But even at low sodium, I mean, they’re still really flavorful.”

In addition to ensuring seniors get a freshly cooked meal, it also provides a social connection, Harter said.

“Sometimes it’s a quick wave,” she said. “Other times, it’s a 10-15 minute conversation. We have drivers that have been doing this for years. And we have a pretty core group that have really developed strong friendships with a lot of the seniors.”