As families experience food shortages during the coronavirus pandemic, a bakery in Virginia’s Fairfax County is doing everything it can to give bread to those who need it.
In recent weeks, Great Harvest Bread Co. has been asking the public to donate cash to the business so it can donate loaves of bread to local food banks and other charitable groups.
For every $5 the business gets, it is able to make and donate one loaf of bread.
“A normal loaf of bread costs $8.25,” said manager Jeffrey Connelly. “We’ve brought it down to $5, which gives us enough money to cover the costs that we have and get the bread out there.”
If someone donates $100, the business throws in an extra five loaves of bread for a total of 25 loaves.
The business has taken in around $3,000 in donations from the public.
“We’ve been very fortunate in the way that we’ve had our community come together to help others,” said Connelly. “What we’ve been able to do is turn the kindness of others into food for families in need.”
So far, the business has made nine deliveries, giving out more than 1,000 loaves of bread.
A group called the Lorton Community Action Center, which provides food and financial assistance to low-income individuals, has received 50 to 100 loaves every week from the company.
“We’re still reaching out to other organizations and finding more and more places where we can help,” said Connelly.
“It’s helping our community but it’s also helping our crew because we are able to employ the people in our bakery.”
Not only has Great Harvest Bread Co. been delivering its bread donations, but it has also been letting people go straight to their bakery locations and take a loaf of bread if they need it.
The business has two locations in Burke and Lorton.
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