Good morning bread friends.
First, thank you all for the support and encouragement last week.Β
It feels insanely good to get back to baking for my community. And honestly, it feels just as good to write to you all again. If you didnβt know, this newsletter started as a personal/public writing journey long before I envisioned launching a micro bakery.
The rebirth of the micro bakery is off to an exciting start. Thanks to you all, I was able to make 42 loaves of bread last week. Before I had the dedicated baking space in the basement, I regularly maxed out at 24 loaves in my familyβs kitchen. After so much time off, I anticipated Iβd be starting out back at that pace. But apparently, folks have an appetite for breadβ¦ and some justice πΒ
Speaking of justiceβ¦ are you ready to raise some more money forΒ MMSDβs Transition Education Program (TEP) Fund?Β
Bread is currently for sale! If youβre ordering bread, you can click this link and place an order now. Or feel free to forward this to a friend!
As a reminder, the TEP fund is maintained by the Madison Public Schools Foundation, and it exists to ensure that children from families who are experiencing homelessness have the resources that they need to show up for and succeed in school.Β
Yesterday was the first day of school for Madison Public Schools, which means I got to walk my kids (1st & 3rd grade) to school again. To be sure, Iβm not describing a chore. Walking my son and daughter to school is the literal highlight of my day. It is a privilege to saunter at a childβs pace and discuss whatever random curiosities are on their mind each morning.
Iβm reminded again how deeply I believe that every child deserves the opportunity to show up to school well-fed, feeling safe, and having their needs met so they are ready to learn.Β
There is plenty that we canβt do to repair the injustices that society thrusts upon our youth. Sometimes the realities of life are sad. You might think of Bread & Justice as a way to be like Mr. Rogers and βlook for the helpersβ.
Instead of just letting hard realities make us sad and stopping thereβ¦ it is empowering to be able to learn about a program like TEP that is already doing the work of finding students in our community that experience great hardship. Together we canΒ support them as they are helping students get the resources they need to have a more equal opportunity to thrive at school.Β
Thanks for joining me in this effort to find ways to make the world a slightly better place.Β
Cheers!Β
Mo
the baker
P.S. Reminder again that bread is available to order on our website right now.Β And the window for bread pickup will again be on Saturday from 11am - 2pm.
P.P.S. Some folks got tripped up on the website last week with the options to buy bread and/or make a donation to Bread & Justice. To alleviate that risk of confusion for now, Iβve removed the donation buttons. So youβll just be able to add bread to your cart and then checkout. Sorry for the confusion. Thanks for your understanding!