Riley Coleman, 9 of South China, Publishes Cookbook, Helps Other

It always warms our hearts when we hear stories about local adults giving back in big ways. Though it warms our hearts tenfold when those locals giving back are our own children.

9-year-old Riley Coleman knows a thing or two about giving back. Her dad, Dan Coleman, is the lead pastor for Central Church, with locations in China, Augusta and Topsham. The church, along with giving back through community outreach programs, also funds their own mission trips to Haiti. Riley knew she wanted to help, and in a big way.

According to the Kennebec Journal, along with her Grandmother, Holly Seaver of Cape Cod, Riley put together a cookbook of decades old family recipes. The publication is called 'Riley's Family Cookbook' and contains more than 80 pages and 30 different recipes for reader to choose from.

Riley told the KJ that she wants to become a chef when she is older and that her most-favorite recipe in the entire book is the 'create your own pancakes' which can be arranged with several different yummy toppings.

And, as an added bonus, everything in the cookbook is gluten-free because Riley herself cannot eat gluten. So if you're always struggling on what you can make that doesn't contain any gluten ingredients, then this book is for you!

The entire process from start to finish of this cookbook took about 2 months to complete and the proceeds will benefit both missions trips to Haiti to fight food insecurity as well as local community outreach programs through Central Church.

Currently the book is selling on Amazon for $20, though they hope to soon have it available in local stores and farmers markets where people purchasing the book can also source local ingredients right on the spot.

Great job, Riley, and what a phenomenal example of giving back you are setting for your peers and other local kids alike!

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