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Lights, Camera, Action...BREAD
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Spread the Bread is a global grassroots bread-giving initiative that encourages our world to bake bread-any kind of bread-for others. The bread is wrapped with love and tied it with a thoughtful expression of hope or “happy good wishes.” (The breads are as diverse as the expressions of hope and happiness.) The breads are then collected and delivered to heroes or to help those in need.The most important thing to know about creating your own Spread the Bread program is the idea behind it. It was begun as a way to involve kids in charitable giving at an early age so that they would see it as a way of life. Eventually this idea evolved into a mission statement:
Spread the Bread is a national grassroots organization whose mission is to nurture children's innate generosity with the goal of sparking a life-long commitment to helping others. Children are provided with opportunities to practice volunteerism by baking bread and offering it to their heroes and those in need, such as seniors, shelter residents and food pantry consumers. Adults are supported in their efforts to teach children about the importance of charitable giving and community participation. Bread recipients are given a homemade loaf of bread and the message that they have been remembered. For bakers and recipients, “bread-spreading” promotes respect for the importance and dignity of each member of society.
The great thing about spread the Bread is that anyone can do it. There’s a role for anyone who wants to be a part of it – whether it’s organizing, baking, delivering, etc. We just encourage you to invite kids and families to be involved in whatever way they can. Also, you can make a difference with just a few loaves. You don’t have to worry about running a huge bread drive.
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GREAT thanks to the Founding KIDS COUNCIL MEMBERS:
Katie Stack, Caroline Stack, Brendon Stack, Ian Stack, Brianna Fay, Liam Fay, Nick Fay, Quinn Fay, John Connor Murtagh, Brain Murtagh, Courtney Murtagh, Kate Kennedy, Michael Kennedy, Maggie Kennedy, Jenny Lidington, Andrew Lidington, Megan Pierce, Molly Pierce, McKenna Kiefer, Madison Kiefer, Emma Kiefer, Rosie Kiefer
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There's something about bread that inspires, defines and unites us all.
Do you know a hero?
Maybe it's someone serving in the military or a veteran. Maybe it's a coach, teacher, a parent, a member of the police, fire department. You define your hero, and then honor them with a decorated loaf of bread.
Are you praying for someone who is sick?
Are you remembering someone who has passed away?
Spread prayer breads and memorial breads to celebrate their invincible spirit.
Do you know someone in need of food, a smile, some comfort or a ray of hope?
Spread bread to celebrate the goodness found in each day. |
HOW DO YOU SPREAD BREAD?
How do you spread bread? Make a loaf of bread, any kind of bread. Wrap the bread like a gift, and add a note, artwork or poem. Then, offer the bread back into your community to help the sick, the needy or to honor a hero.
Where can you spread bread? Local fire and police stations, nursing homes, food pantries, shelters, meals on wheels programs, hospitals, neighbors and friends. It begins with the first loaf.... now, thousands and thousands of breads have been spread across this land.
Who spreads bread? Schools, teachers, scouts, communities, church groups,
organizations, sports teams, individuals, families...
Honor Breads-are breads tied with a note that honor our heroes: police, firefighters,
veterans, soldiers, etc.
Prayer Breads-are breads tied with a note that ask for prayers for someone who is ill.
Memorial Breads-are breads tied with a note that celebrates the life of a person who has passed on
HISTORY OF SPREAD THE BREAD
Who would have believed that Mrs. Kelly's Irish bread would stir up a bread spreading revolution around the world; inspiring the grassroots nonprofit, Spread the Bread. This international bread-giving organization teaches millions they can "bake a difference" by offering freshly baked, wrapped and decorated breads to honor our heroes and help those in need.
Happily embracing the memory of her mother’s
Irish bread, Karen Kelly Kiefer and her children began making, baking and spreading this Irish bread to neighbors, friends back in the late nineties. Inspired again by the wonderful response to the gesture, and winning dozens and dozens of Land O Lakes butter coupons, they bake more and more bread, dressing the breads with cards and artwork and dropping them off to local nursing homes and shelters. "As a child her bread spoke to me,” said Kiefer, "letting me know I was home, I was safe; I was cared for, loved. As I grew older, her bread spoke to others, letting them know they are safe, they are cared for, not forgotten, loved."
After the devastation of September 11th, Kiefer, with the help of close friend, Juliette Fay, officially launched Spread the Bread. Together, they saw a need and an opportunity to use bread to heal and comfort their Wayland, Massachusetts community, and to teach children in a changing world it is still important and easy to make a difference by reaching in and reaching out.
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Bread called this Wayland community back into their kitchens to bake bread---any kind of bread- to honor heroes and help those in need. The breads were wrapped and tied with an expression of "goodwill": a simple card, artwork, a poem, a meaningful story--anything that communicated an uplifting message. The breads were then dropped off at local schools, businesses and churches. What happened next was incredible; hundreds and later thousands of different kinds of bread spread to honor the police, firefighters, veterans and to help those in need: the elderly, the sick, the hungry, and the homeless for National “Make a Difference Day.”
The word spread and so did the bread....
Six years later, this bread-giving legacy is now contagious, with hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of loaves of bread spread. Bread groups have been hosted in almost every state in the USA, and with the help of the Girl Scouts, they are continuing to form in countries around the world: Canada, France, Australia, Hungry, South Korea, Kuwait, and Zimbabwe. The breads are spread in all different sizes, shapes, flavors, from many different cultures and are spread for many different reasons: honor breads, memorial breads, prayer breads, celebration breads, and more.
The project has also been incorporated into educational service-learning curriculums and youth organizations' programs, such as the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. After learning more about the art, science, technology, history and culture of bread, youth can earn a special patch for their bread service.
Special thanks to the Wayland, Massachusetts community and founding families: the Fays, the Stacks, the Lidingtons, the Pierces, the Morans, the Murtaghs, the Kennedys, the Kiefers
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Spread the Bread was one of the ten national "Make a Difference Day" Award Winners for 2006. We thank our amazing bread spreaders, the Paul Newman Foundation, USA Weekend and the "Make a Difference Day" program, as well as the Points of Light Foundation for this incredible honor. The grant money received from the Paul Newman Foundation began a partnership with the Volunteer and Service Learning Center at Boston College www.bc.edu/service to empower more young people to make a difference and to help spread more bread in the process. Please visit the "Make a Difference Day" website for more information on Make a Difference Day 2007, the fourth Saturday in October : www.makeadifferenceday.com
INTERNSHIPS: We are looking for high school and college students to assist with e-marketing and growing our global bread groups. Hours are completely flexible, you can work from your home, and all you need is a computer and access to the Internet. Our bread is on the rise...we need you! If interested, please e-mail us : info@spreadthebread.org
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| Bread thanks to Katie Miller and the Troops from Aiken, South Carolina |
| South Korea launches Spread the Bread |
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Because of the visionary leadership of Jerri Nelson and Susan Patten, Senior Girl Scout Troop 23 and Cadette 5 from Seoul, South Korea, Troop 5 Osan, South Korea, Senior Troop from Daegu, South Korea, as well parents and friends, celebrated peace and fellowship in a two-day Spread the Bread event. The breads were spread to local military hospitals, and area shelters.
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