These new cookies from Pillsbury can help give veterans safe, rent-free homes as they re-enter civilian life
Baking just got even better

Pillsbury is partnering with non profit, Operation Homefront, to provide housing for veterans
It’s the dream of many veterans: a safe and swift return to the security of home – to a place where time can be spent with family while becoming part of a community and creating new memories. With the partnership of non-profit Operation Homefront, Pillsbury is helping give military families the opportunity to do just that.
However, some companies and organizations are stepping in to show support and provide resources. Operation Homefront, an organization dedicated to helping military families transition back to civilian life, launched its Transitional Homes for Veterans (THV) Program in 2018. The program places veteran families in safe, secure, rent-free single-family homes for a period of two-to-three years while providing financial coaching and training to reduce debt, increase savings, and prepare for independent home ownership. Since the THV’s inception, Operation Homefront has defrayed more than $500K in mortgage costs to military families.
To sweeten the deal, Operation Homefront partnered with Pillsbury in 2020 to help support the THV program. The company famous for its smile-inducing and festive cookie dough believes that what matters most is made at home and that every family deserves a place to make memories together. To put this belief into action, Pillsbury and Operation Homefront have joined forces to support military families in their return to civilian life by providing them with stable housing so they can build a foundation for their future.
You can almost smell freshly baked cookies right now, can't you?
Since the partnership began, Pillsbury has donated more than $5.6 million towards the THV program. Each home will be in rotation among numerous military families for up to 20 years, providing rent-free living to these veterans and their families as they make the transition back to civilian life. Most recently, a home was built in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for a veteran family who was displaced after an unexpected medical discharge. Pillsbury and Operation Homefront organized a ceremony, which was attended by other THV recipients, to officially welcome the family into their new community.
And since nothing says “home, sweet home” quite like fresh baked cookies, Pillsbury has also created brand new Salute to Service cookies. Each sugar cookie has a patriotic flag design on top, celebrating the military families that Pillsbury is committed to supporting.
These cookies are ready to bake and ready to help
Are these beloved Pillsbury cookies tasty? Sure. Are they adorable? As always. Are they a hit for holiday gatherings? You betcha. But this time, these Pillsbury cookies also serve a cause.
This summer, you can help make the world a better place for veterans and eat cookies at the same time. From now until August 31, 2022, Pillsbury will donate $.10 for each code entered to Operation Homefront up to $150,000.* With this partnership, Pillsbury and Operation Homefront hope these men and women who have served truly feel like they’ve come back to the home of their dreams.
If you would like to learn more about this amazing collaboration – and participate yourself – you can find more info at: https://www.pillsbury.com/mission
*Pillsbury will donate 10 cents to Operation Homefront for each code entered by August 31, 2022. Maximum total donation up to $150,000 based on eligible codes submitted. Open to legal residents of the U.S. and D.C. who are 18+. For more information about the program, complete Terms and Conditions, and to enter the code, visit Pillsbury.com/mission. Limit of 5 codes may be entered per household.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.