January 17, 2008 Soldiers treated with gift of cookies Play video

(NECN) - When it comes to comfort food, few things can beat homemade chocolate chip cookies. Debbie Godowsky built a business on that premise. For 16 years she's been making cookies out of her home in Yarmouth, Maine.

With the internet, Debbie's cookies found a global audience. When the war in Iraq began, she started getting more and more orders for soldiers.

Several years ago Debbie had a customer who ordered cookies for a soldier in Iraq. He asked her to add nine dollars to his order...that buys a dozen cookies. He said the next time someone called to place an order for a soldier add that extra dozen cookies inside the box...his way of paying it forward to thank a soldier he had never met.

The idea caught on and one by one, and people were adding nine dollars to their orders and sending extra cookies to U.S. soldiers stationed around the world. So far, Debbie and her staff have sent out nearly thirty thousand donated cookies.

Debbie has dozens of letters and photos from soldiers who were grateful to get the extra cookies. She makes sure to include a letter telling them about the program she calls "club nine" and where their donated cookies came from.

It started with that one customer and since 2005, 'every' box of cookies that has left Debbie's kitchen headed for a soldier has had an extra dozen cookies inside. A small gesture that has had a big impact. NECN's Marnie Maclean has more.