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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E646]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING RACHELLE LONG AS IOWAN OF THE WEEK
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HON. CYNTHIA AXNE
of iowa
in the house of representatives
Monday, July 20, 2020
Mrs. AXNE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of
Representatives to join me in recognizing Rachelle Long, the owner of
Chellie's Sugar Shack in Des Moines, as this week's Iowan of the Week.
Whether it's cakes, cookies, cobblers, or pies, Chellie's Sugar Shack
has been satisfying sweet tooths in Des Moines for nearly a decade.
After a thirty-year career--one she began straight out of high school--
Rachelle took the leap and opened her own home bakery at the suggestion
of her children. Chellie's Sugar Shack was the result of years of
baking sugar cookies for her kids and family, including sugar cookie
trays that became a much-anticipated present each year at Christmas.
Chellie's Sugar Shack opened for business on April Fool's Day in
2011--with Rachelle clarifying on Facebook that the business was indeed
no joke. For the first two years, sugar cookies were the only thing on
the menu. After requests from satisfied customers, however, the menu
has since grown to include best sellers like the southern caramel cake
and strawberry cake. And yesterday, on National Sugar Cookie Day,
Rachelle found a way to reward one loyal customer with a gift of a
dozen sugar cookies.
I am deeply impressed by Rachelle's strong entrepreneurial spirit,
dedication, and engagement with the local community--like baking dozens
of mini southern caramel cakes as a sweet treat for students. I know
the community appreciates her hard work. I know Rachelle and other
small business owners have been working hard during this global
pandemic. Like all small business owners, Rachelle must have been
worried about what might happen to her business. But Iowans have a
proud tradition of supporting our small businesses and Chellie's Sugar
Shack has seen an uptick in orders. With 8 to 10 orders to bake each
day now, Rachelle's been busy giving Iowans delicious cakes, cookies,
and other treats to brighten their day.
Like many small businesses, including my own, Chellie's Sugar Shack
is a family business. A grandmother of 9, Rachelle recounted her early
days as a business owner of having her grandchildren--then ages 1 to
10--help her with baking, decorating, and packaging orders. As they
helped, Rachelle sought to instill in them the value of being an
entrepreneur--in her words, to be an ``employer and not an employee.''
With Chellie's Sugar Shack, Rachelle says that she's planted a seed
that she hopes her grandchildren will continue to nourish and grow
across generations.
As a mom myself, I know the importance of providing our children with
experiences that will build not just lifelong skills, but also lifelong
memories. I am proud to know that we have family business owners like
Rachelle in our community fostering tomorrow's entrepreneurs. It is my
honor to share Rachelle's story, and recognize her as the Iowan of the
Week.
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