Give Us This Day Your Daily Bread

Around the world, America is seen as a country of abundance and, sadly, excess. Most of us ’want’ for very little. We think nothing of eating out and leaving food on our plates. But do you ever wonder at the end of the day where the ’abundance’ we’re known for goes? For several restaurants, their daily bread becomes others’ daily bread through a donation program started almost 3 years ago by Clemmons United Methodist Church.

Restaurants Breaking Bread with the Community

When you hear the name of local restaurant Panera Bread, you probably think of a warm, friendly cafe offering the best of baked breads and pastries, and the freshest of soups, salads and sandwiches. But Ellen Garrett, the Neighborhood Marketing Coordinator for Show Me Bread, Inc., a franchise of Panera Bread, hopes her company will be known for something else “We believe in the universal spirit of sharing. Giving back to our community is a core value and a responsibility,” stated Garrett. Since 1999, Show Me Bread, Inc. has opened 13 Panera Bread bakery-cafes, located in the Triad, Mooresville and Boone, and will soon open #14 in Hickory in early spring. Panera Bread of the Triad donates over 1 million dollars in unsold bakery products a year. Garrett gets to see firsthand the non-profit groups helped by Show Me Bread, Inc./Panera Bread. “Through our End-of-Day  program and Operation Dough-Nation program we are able to assist non-profit groups that are passionate about feeding others in our community and are making a difference in peoples’ lives,” said Garrett.

Through these programs, bread and other baked goods, such as cookies and muffins, which are left over at the end of a business day don’t go to waste. Panera staff members collect and prepare the items for pick-up by volunteers, who then deliver the food to those who need it. “If someone is interested in participating in our End-of-Day program, all we ask is that they come by the cafe of their choice with a written intent on non-profit letterhead with tax ID # included. It’s that simple,” stated Garrett.

On an independent and smaller scale, Brian Bohrer, Winston-Salem native and owner/operator of Bagels & Brew in Clemmons since 2004, has been donating, on average, 70 dozen bagels each week for a little over a year. That’s a lot of dough! As Bohrer said, “Before I started donating, I would throw a lot of bagels away, if I couldn’t get the surplus to the Samaritan Ministries, but now I have volunteers come by every day and pick-up what is left. It is a wonderful and rewarding endeavor to be involved in.” Another local company that gives baked goods is Starbucks, and Food Lion donates baked goods and produce, when available. An additional way of giving is through designating green points at Lowe’s Foods to be given to the Clemmons Food Pantry.

The Passing of the Loaves

Once the food items are donated, volunteers transport them to the Clemmons Food Pantry, where other volunteers package the bread and freeze it, if not immediately needed. Bob Miller, volunteer coordinator at the Clemmons Food Pantry said, “The Clemmons Food Pantry helps about 600 families a month. We receive our canned and frozen foods from Second Harvest Food Bank, as well as by shopping with donated funds. Our baked goods come from local companies and we receive meats from local grocery stores. This is an all volunteer program, originally started at Clemmons united Methodist Church, but embraced by other churches and individuals.  Helping families in this way is so very rewarding.” For the donating companies, the rewards are multiplied each time they give.

The Clemmons Food Pantry is located at 6000 Meadowbrook Mall, Suite 14 and is open Tuesdays and Thursdays 4-7 PM and Saturdays 9-11 AM. To apply for help from the Clemmons Food Pantry, you need to present an ID, fill out an application, meet income requirements and be a resident of Forsyth County. Person(s) may visit the food pantry once a month.

For more information on the End-of-Day program provided by Panera Bread of the Triad, Please visit the nearest Panera Bread in your community or call Ellen Garrett, Neighborhood Marketing Coordinator at 336-689-6536.