Blog / In the Community

This summer, Bread for the City was chosen as beneficiary in a special community outreach project called Taste Your Music. Presented by two local arts organizations, Gourmet Symphony and Capital City Symphony, the program provides meals, performances, and fellowship to DC’s residents in need.

As part of Taste Your Music, this past June we welcomed a professional string quartet for a chamber music concert to our rooftop patio for the first time ever! The musicians performed for our staff and clients, sharing their talent and love for music with all present.

Bread for the City is pleased to welcome back Chef Bob for a cooking demonstration at our SE Center tomorrow, Tuesday, August 4th at 11:00 AM! The demonstration will be led by Chef Bob with Gate Gourmet, an organization that specializes in in-flight catering. All are welcome to attend!

This is the launch of a monthly series – “Chairman’s Corner” – where our Board Chair, Paul Taskier, will write about a variety of topics that impact Bread for the City and indeed the community and nation at large. We invite you to Read, Enjoy and Share!

We have all just witnessed momentous changes in our national landscape. June, 2015 will long be a month remembered for the changes it ushered in, or cemented in place.

There’s A LOT going on in our Sustainable Agriculture Department!

At her open house in February, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that she would be hosting a series of three Budget Engagement Forums throughout the city.

The purpose of these forums was to let residents know about the proposed items in her budget, and also to hear directly from residents about what things they would like to see her prioritize.

A month ago I had a powerful experience. I spent two days with 45 mostly-young people in a training workshop on “Undoing Racism”. Almost 30 of the 45 were Bread employees or Board members – black, white, mixed, and Asian-American – and were there as part of Bread’s commitment to racial equity.

Guest Post by Patrick Sullivan, Director of Field Operations at Nest DC

Believe it or not, I’m the only Nester that was hired with any property management experience. The field is full of folks overwhelmed by the daily drama and, to be honest, the (mostly) unrewarding nature of the work. It’s hard to be stellar under those circumstances. But hey, I was told I didn’t have a choice. I was the kid who slipped through the cracks. Poverty, foster care and an educational system that didn’t know what to do with me. I was pretty sure any job was almost out of reach. Never mind a good job. But a blend of hard work, perseverance and luck led me to a happy marriage and a career(!). I genuinely love working at Nest. With all that, I am even more sensitive to those who have less. That’s why when I get to work, it’s like coming home.

Bread for the City hosted 60 volunteers on Monday’s Day of Service in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

We welcomed volunteers from Blank Rome, Skadden Arps and Wiley Rein, as well as other community members at our centers in NW and SE, DC.

Living up to the purpose of the day, the volunteers worked hard to sort and process three pallets of fresh produce, including onions, potatoes, and carrots, into family-sized servings that Bread will distribute to clients through our two food pantries this week.