Project Bread Annual Report 2011

Dear Friends,

At Project Bread, we often say that “it all begins with food” . . . and what we mean by that is that a child’s academic success, an adult’s workplace productivity — in fact, everyone’s basic health — all starts with a healthy meal. That’s why providing access to fresh, healthful, culturally-appropriate food is our passion. Simply put, our goal is to make a place for everyone at the table, and that requires us to think through the limitations and barriers of how we currently feed those in need.

This is not easy to do in an economy when the demand is up and the pressure is on to just do “more of the same.” While we stand ready to provide lifesaving emergency help, we continue to invest in new solutions that normalize the experience of hunger relief and strengthen existing organizations in our neighborhoods and hometowns.

In crafting new ways to feed hungry people, we ask ourselves: is the food healthful, locally grown, and given in a way that does not require the recipient to exchange her dignity for a bag of groceries? Does the solution also nourish local farmers, schools, community organizations, and businesses? Is this a quick fix or a sustainable solution?

These questions form the basis of the new thinking in hunger and are, in fact, the future of all antihunger work.

This year’s annual report includes a look back at some of the Project Bread firsts to occur during my 15-year tenure. You will find in them recurrent threads of research and strategic partnership. And, you will see that our current twin goals of strengthening the individual and the community is the direction in which we’ve been heading all along.

Sincerely,

Ellen Parker
Executive Director