Donate A Community Loaf
“You’re seeing a lot of first time people going to food pantries. A lot of people who have never requested those services.”
SHARE THE GIFT OF BREAD WITH THoSE WHO NEED IT MOST
UPDATE!
you purchased 757 Community Loaves DURING OUR 2022 HOLIDAY MATCH PERIOD. THAT MEANS WE were able to send 1,514 fresh sandwich loaves to local food banks! Thank you for your generosity
Each day, far too many of our neighbors experience hunger.
While our communities deal with the ripple effects of the pandemic, households face rising costs of living with many having difficulty making ends meet. “You’re seeing a lot of first-time people going to food pantries, people who have never requested those services,” says Ceci Estraviz, who manages the food warehouse for the Portland nonprofit Lift UP.
The data isn’t encouraging, either: Prior to the pandemic, 1 in 11 Oregonians were food insecure. Today, 1 in 8 of our neighbors face hunger (source: Oregon Food Bank). Washington State ranks 10th in the country in overall wealth—and ranks 34th in food insecurity, according to NW Harvest.
When you buy a Community Loaf, you make nutritious, fresh bread available to the hungry.
HOW IT WORKS: Anyone can purchase a Community Loaf as a donation from our online store or at the bakery. We deliver it to a food bank, where the bread is distributed in emergency food boxes or neighborhood food pantries. Local partners are Lift UP and Rainier Valley Food Bank.
ABOUT THE LOAF: You may know it as Whole Wheat Goldendale - a big, beautiful, 100 percent whole-wheat sandwich bread made from local grains.
The bread is distributed in emergency food boxes for low-income clients in downtown Portland, delivered to some 50 buildings. Many who receive them are elderly and immunocompromised or disabled and not able to leave their homes much, Estraviz says.
FEELING GRATEFUL: “Our clients love the bread," she says. “They're always so grateful and joyful that they can access the same kind of food that others can, and that helps them feel more valued."
“I think the narrative is – the food bank is expired food. But in reality, it’s really high-quality food that community partners like Grand Central are donating.”
IMPACT: Since the program began, Grand Central Bakery has delivered an average of 1,000 loaves* each month to local food banks.
Thank you for continuing to inspire and support us with your Community Loaf donations!
Nov. 8, 2022, update: 18,771 loaves donated since program inception 10/20.
Please visit any Grand Central Bakery to buy a Community Loaf or purchase one from our online store.