An 11-year-old Florence girl used her love of baking this month to raise $1,917.50 for the Caring House in Iron Mountain.

Ella DeRoche and her mother, Jesy, baked more than 100 batches of “Ella’s Dozen” in October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness month.

“I like baking and really wanted to incorporate that into something that would help people,” Ella said. “I chose that charity because someone close to me has been affected by domestic violence.”

After thinking about the fundraising idea for a few days, she got started. “I decided to make chocolate chip cookies and thought I would quadruple my first batch,” Ella said.

Fresh honey and pudding are two of the special ingredients in Ella DeRoche’s chocolate chip cookies.

“She used up all the butter in the house,” her mother, Jesy DeRoche, said with a laugh.

That evening, she posted a video of Ella describing her cookie-baking efforts on Facebook, thinking they might raise a few dollars.

Within a half-hour, they had six orders. Demand has only skyrocketed since then.

“I was thinking how amazing it would be if we could get to $500 — and now here we are, almost to $2,000,” Ella said.

With the rise in orders, her mother said she has stepped in to help, but Ella still has a hand in every single batch.

“I just finish up baking, because it gets too late at night,” Jesy DeRoche said, adding Ella even has her younger sister, Adalynn, involved.

“You don’t lose energy when you are doing something good,” Ella said.

The 1,500-plus cookies have been delivered, picked up or mailed all across the U.P. and as far as Milwaukee and lower Michigan, each with a special label thanking the buyer for their donation.

“This has become way bigger than we would have thought,” Jesy DeRoche said.

She stressed how proud she is of Ella. “She has a big heart and really has a passion for helping people,” Jesy DeRoche said.

Ella also is happy that many who ordered cookies have liked them enough to come back for more. “I even had a teacher order them to share with high school students at Florence and they were all raving about them,” Ella said.

She has received many donations in cards as well, praising her efforts and how she is making a difference in the lives of those dealing with domestic violence.

“Ella’s Dozen” — which contains 15 cookies — comes from a recipe she found online but tweaked over time to make it her own.

“I had been testing it for a while — making changes each time,” she said. “A couple of the ingredients that make it special is fresh honey and pudding.”

The mother and daughter team say they will continue to bake at least a couple weeks into November, as long as it can bring attention to domestic violence.

“Domestic violence happens 12 months a year,” Jesy DeRoche noted. “I’m willing to keep it going — she started a movement.”

“Domestic violence isn’t OK and if you are someone

being affected by it, then you have to speak up because nobody deserves to be treated that way,” Ella said.

Caring House Executive Director Cheryl O’Neil said donations are really needed during this challenging time, since most normal fundraisers have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We plan to use the funds for electronics, like iPads or tablets, that are much needed during this time for virtual learning,” O’Neil said. “We — of course — weren’t prepared for this.”

The Caring House is grateful for what Ella and her mother have done, as well as the rest of the community for their support, she said.

O’Neil added it’s very heartwarming to see a young girl doing this and hopes Ella’s efforts stimulate other young people to start thinking about volunteerism.

“It can be for any non-profit they are passionate about,” she said.

To place a cookie order or make a donation, contact Jesy DeRoche through Facebook Messenger or call her at 906-458-4181.

They are willing to coordinate pick-up and drop-offs in town, she added.

“I feel it has gone this far because it is making a big impact,” Ella said.

Terri Castelaz can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 241, or tcastelaz@ironmountaindailynews.com.