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GREENSBORO -- It's hard to keep people out of the kitchen when it smells like pecan pie bars and mixed berry squares.

Breakfast and lunch are served during the week at the Sanctuary House. But today, there's a bakery order. That means the mixer churns butter and crumbled brown sugar. A pinch of salt, a handful of pecans, a splash of lemon juice and a couple of cups of flour will emerge from the oven an hour later -- a mouth-watering dessert to be donated for a fundraiser.

A steady stream of people passes through the kitchen, most of them on their way to retrieve a mid-morning snack. Like a dieter eyeing a dessert case, they cast longing glances at the concoctions in the baking pans.

Maya Aliff, a program specialist at Sanctuary House, also leads its bakery program, A Sweet Success. She's lucky, she says, because her job allows her to fulfill two of her biggest passions: helping others and baking.

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The bakery evolved from a spaghetti dinner fundraiser for Sanctuary House last year. The desserts sold at the dinner were so popular that people called afterward to request cakes. Such response generated staff enthusiasm, and grant money was used to start the baking program.

Sanctuary House, which serves adults with mental illness, aims to help them become self-sufficient and independent. Executive director Jodi Lorenzo-Schibley says her staff was looking for a possible business venture both to raise money for the organization and to teach its members job skills. One possibility was a thrift store. But response from the bake sale, combined with Aliff's own interest in baking, seemed a better fit. The Sanctuary House also had recently renovated its kitchen for its meal program.

"It was a natural progression for us to consider building on what we'd already developed and our talents," Lorenzo-Schibley says.

The business has grown, mostly by word of mouth. There's still not enough business to generate much profit, orders do trickle in every month. They are taped to Sanctuary House's stainless-steel commercial refrigerator. They have baked cakes for weddings, baby showers, baptisms and other family gatherings. The Sweet Success menu includes cakes, pies, cookies, muffins, squares and bars. Because many of their orders are cakes, Aliff attends cake-decorating classes. She then shares what she learned at Sanctuary House.

Their regular customers praise the most popular item: strawberry layer cake -- a rich, cream cheese pound cake, layered with fresh strawberries and vanilla mousse, then covered with buttercream icing.

It's Carol Whitley's favorite item on the menu, and she orders it regularly.

"It's a smash hit with my family," she says.

Whitley, program director for Hillcrest House, a group home for people with mental illness, orders from Sweet Success frequently for family gatherings. The desserts taste and look as good as -- even better than -- those from high-end bakeries in the area, Whitley says.

"This really far exceeds any other bakery I've been (to) in Greensboro, and it's for a good cause," she says.

Lorenzo-Schibley -- also a fan of the strawberry layer cake -- recommends the vegan cookies too.

"They're all-natural and hearty. I love them for my son as an alternative snack," she says.

Aliff selects recipes from cookbooks such as, "A Passion for Baking," magazines and the Internet. Her colleagues also share popular family recipes. Aliff likes to bake at home, but her husband doesn't eat a lot of desserts. This gives her an outlet to try new things, while helping Sanctuary House members such as Emma Peeples develop a love for baking.

Peeples, 21, recently moved into a group home and got a job at a bagel shop. Although she doesn't bake bagels, she hopes to someday. She likes baking with Aliff at Sanctuary House.

"I like mixing the different ingredients and seeing what comes out of it, even if it's a disaster," Peeples says.

Peeples and fellow member Ellen Stovall are the most consistent Sweet Success bakers. Sometimes they share the kitchen with members trying to prepare lunch. Their recent order for pecan pie bars and mixed berry squares made it into the oven just before lunch preparations began.

With their orders in the oven, they have time to bake a quick batch of chocolate chip cookies for lunch. As some Sanctuary House members pound and prepare the chicken, Stovall and Peeples roll cookie dough into round balls, then place them on a cookie sheet.

Stovall isn't as passionate about baking as Peeples and Aliff.

"I make an occasional brownie (from the box)," she says.

But Stovall, 57, says she likes to bake with Aliff.

"She makes it simple and fun," Stovall says.

Aliff says Sweet Success gives Stovall and Peeples a sense of ownership -- they helped create a product that others enjoy.

"It gives them a sense of pride," she says.

Baking can be more challenging than cooking because it requires exact measurements. A misstep can result in failure, so Aliff guides them closely.

Peeples, one of Whitley's residents at Hillcrest House, is more of a team player since baking with Aliff. Whitley says baking shows Peeples the importance of thinking through decisions and following directions.

"She knows you can't just put this in there and that in there but to follow recipes," Whitley says.

The pecan pie and mixed berry bars were donated to a fundraiser for Tristan's Quest, an organization that helps children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral challenges.

Lorenzo-Schibley said it was a good community service opportunity for Stovall and Peeples.

"It was nice for us to be able to give back through a product (created by) some of our members," she says.

Sweet Success organizers have big dreams for their little bakery. One day, they would like to expand the business. Aliff dreams of a quaint cafe, with room for seating and light music playing in the background.

And -- of course -- a large display case filled with a variety of beautiful pastries and cakes, elegantly arranged.

Contact Tina Firesheets at 373-3498 or tina.firesheets@news-record.com