Every Wednesday afternoon from 1-3 p.m., the organization Ask Mom UGA can be seen handing out cookies and other pastries outside of the Tate Student Center. The group comprises nine mothers and one father who hand out cookies and give advice to passing students at the University of Georgia.
The group has an Instagram page which features photos of their treats and expresses the parents’ initiative of serving UGA students. During their weekly visits to the student center, Ask Mom UGA hopes to provide “snacks, hugs and/or mom time,” according to their Instagram bio.
As a staple in the Athens community for the past five years, the group has had to increase the number of cookies they make by four times the original amount. Emily Bucha, a long-time member of Ask Mom UGA, has watched their popularity increase over the years.
The first time the group came out to Tate, they only brought around 100 cookies, Bucha said. After the first year of the parent’s initiative, the success made it clear that it was time to increase their inventory.
“I make about 200 cookies every week,” Bucha said. “We figure that we give away about 1000 cookies a week and hope that we can last until three o’clock, but we rarely make it that long anymore.”
Due to the various amounts of cookies each member makes, some make their cookies from scratch while others use already-made dough. Each member spends a different amount of time baking their cookies.
“I use Toll House Break and Bake cookies, but some of the other moms bake their [own] stuff,” Bucha said. “One of the girls said she’ll make as many cookies as she can make in about three hours.”
The parents frequent the student center every Wednesday for much more than just cookies. Many of them want to connect with UGA students and let them know there is someone there for them. For Bucha, this is the best part about being a part of Ask Mom.
“The cookies are just sort of the hook,” Bucha said. “The best part is getting to meet students and asking them, ‘What can we do to encourage you today?’ or being with students. We just want them to know that there’s a mom on campus that’s thinking about them when their mom’s not here.”
Typically, the Ask Mom members pass out cookies only around the outside of Tate, but they will soon have a permanent booth like many other organizations affiliated with UGA. Dick Wallace, the first father member of the group, is excited for this new development.
“We’re gonna have a retractable banner with the logo soon so it gives everybody sort of a focal point,” Wallace said.
The Ask Mom members have gained a following on campus and draw in many students with their free treats. For students such as freshman entertainment and media studies major Grayson Schofield, Ask Moms serve as a nice change of pace from other organizations that usually advertise outside of the student center.