BFC In the News 2021

The projects raised money for local non-profits and charities such as Bread for the City, Think Local First D.C., SMYAL and the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop.

In the District of Columbia, George Jones, CEO of Bread for the City, observed the debilitating effects of COVID-19 on the lives of so many who were already suffering in the nation's capital.

"Ten thousand people are getting food from us and about 100 people come to the center although we encourage them not to - and we hand them bags," he told Sputnik. "When looking at food insecurity, the world looks so different now. Our focus is getting people access to food and figuring out how to sustain a model that's equitable. The pandemic is not quite yet over so we are looking at a safe, reliable way to serve our clients."

"If you target communities where people are disadvantaged and resources are limited, a universal benefit arises from giving them what they need. Because when other community members thrive, so will the rest of the city," said George Jones

I’ve been working in healthcare for over 15 years now. Rolling my sleeves up next to my peers, providing quality healthcare to my D.C. neighbors as a nurse has been an important investment. An investment into myself, into my family and into the very folks that I care for. And I’ve actively chosen community work because more than not, the folks I serve have represented people that look like me and want a reflection of themselves in the care they seek.

The Free Breakfast Program serves as an enduring model for numerous initiatives that address food insecurity, such as D.C.’s Bread for the City, FrontLine Farming in Colorado, Harlem Grown in New York, and the Interfaith Food Shuttle in North Carolina.

“They never build something from the ground up that includes the immigrant community in D.C.,” says Allison Miles-Lee, a managing attorney with Bread for the City.

“Oftentimes when these new sites open up you still see disparities playing themselves out, but at least I think the government and certainly the providers are trying to be intentional about reversing those kinds of patterns,” George Jones said.

THRIVE is a partnership among Martha’s Table, Bread for the City, the Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative, and the 11th Street Bridge Park.