It is a tremendous relief that COVID-19 cases are waning, more folks are returning to work, and California will soon be opening up and relaxing the pandemic restrictions.

However, many of the individuals and family members that lost their jobs or had their hours reduced, are still dealing with the residual economic effects of the past 15 months of the COVID-19 crisis.

Bread & Broth is seeing first-hand how our clients are still struggling to pay outstanding rent/mortgages, delayed utility bills, and overdue miscellaneous medical, car, etc. bills. As folks are striving to get back financially on their feet, they are using the services provided by Bread & Broth to continue to help feed themselves and their families. All of this has been possible thanks to our generous donors and our very hard working and dedicated volunteers.

Since January 2021, the number of clients receiving food bags, either through our Monday and Friday food giveaways or the B&B 4 Kids programs, has increased.

Currently, Bread & Broth is touching the lives of over 1,100 community members weekly through our twice weekly food giveaways and the B&B 4 Kids programs which supports Lake Tahoe Unified School District students and seven local day care centers serving low-income families.

In addition to the increase in the number of clients we serve, the cost of the healthy food (milk, eggs, butter, fresh fruit and vegetables, meats, etc.) that we purchase for our clients has also risen substantially. Since Bread & Broth is an all-volunteer organization, all of the COVID-19 emergency fund donations have been spent on the purchase of food items.

Although, B&B will begin to transition our program’s support of easing hunger back to our hot meal service over the next two to four months, funds are needed to continue our COVID-19 emergency programs through this transition period.

Bread & Broth is so grateful for the community’s overwhelming support during the coronavirus crisis, and we are hoping that with your continued support, we will be able to continue to assist our food insecure neighbors until we reinstate our pre-pandemic hot meal programs.

Donations can be made on our website, breadandbroth.org, or by check to Bread & Broth, St. Theresa Church, 1041 Lyons Ave, SLT 96150.

Carol Gerard is director for Bread & Broth.