At FHBB, we have amazing volunteers who bring their time, energy, and passion to serve our community. Allie brought her own special energy to our volunteer team by joining us a few months ago and has had a connection to the Breadbasket for years.

"Years ago, the Breadbasket provided a place where my kids and I could support our community," Allie shared. "It gave us perspective and a window into how a

Jennie Jordan, Engagement Manager

​Cooking has been a major part of my life since I was a small human. My mom loved creating meals for me and my older brother that were healthy, diverse, delicious and full of love. From a young age, she had me in the kitchen helping and learning, growing my love of cooking which I've held onto as I grew up and passed through the different phases of adulthood. She sometimes shares stories of how we were tight on money in my early childhood and how being on WIC gave a little help along with her being creative with the food budget.

David, Myrna and Jennie from 2000.

Jerry was diagnosed with cancer and unable to work, which meant his savings went to pay for his mortgage, car, and health care. This left no room for food in his budget, so he came to FHBB for help through our services. Jerry was impressed with the amount of nutritious food available, such as fish, vegetables, fruit, yogurt, oatmeal, beans, and soup, which he attributes to his success in “beating cancer.” Through conflicts with doctor appointments, he was grateful the staff provided time accommodation, allowing him to continue receiving services.​

Jerry expresses tremendous gratitude to the Breadbasket for helping him through a difficult time in his life and states, “I will do whatever it takes to help the Breadbasket as they helped me.” 

I am an avid reader in my “spare” time, often juggling two or three books at once- I like a little variety of content depending on how much brain space is available. While my fiction diet covers a wide range of content, my nonfiction tends to center around issues that are close to my heart- public policy, leading a nonprofit organization, and food insecurity. Fortunately, there is a lot of overlap in these areas, and I find golden nuggets in almost everything I read.
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I finished How the Other Half Eats-The Untold Story of Food and Inequality in America by Priya Fielding-Singh, PhD over the weekend. The content of Dr. Fielding-Singh’s book comes from research she conducted as a doctoral student at Stanford University. She interviewed seventy-five families and observed four additional families in greater depth. 

When our community thinks about food insecurity, it is natural for us to think of the Flint Hills Breadbasket. The Breadbasket was created in 1982 and many residents do not know Manhattan without our building at 905 Yuma. The Breadbasket and our partners at local churches provide critical support to the Riley County area. Our mission is to provide reliable access to healthy food, build connections with community partners, and empower neighbors to meet their basic needs.

With leadership from Yareni and Ryan, The Market will continue carrying a variety of food options for our community. The Market has been able to offer more items for many diets like vegan and gluten free along with culturally relevant ingredients for many cuisines. Jennie will coordinate community engagement volunteers, fundraisers, and events like the upcoming end of summer open house and transforming Project Manhattan from an annual event to a continuing program for business involvement. 

​Project Manhattan has been an important connection to the business community and your support has brought in thousands of dollars and pounds of food before we entered the summer months when kids are home from school. Thank you for all each of you have done to support our mission. We could not meet the needs of our guests without your help.​

We haven't set all our plans quite yet, but here are a few things we're planning and what you can look forward to with engagement with Flint Hills Breadbasket.

• Teen Volunteer Program
• Kid/Family Volunteer Events
• Large Group Volunteer Opportunities
• Community Events
• Community Drives
• Sponsor Shirts and FHBB Gear
• Grow a Row in the FHBB Garden

 
Keep an eye out for updates on our website and social media on different ways to get involved and support FHBB. If you’re looking for a quick way for your business to get involved, we would love to support you in a food or dignity (hygiene) drive. We need staple items such as sugar, vegetable oil, flour, white rice, and coffee. We can accommodate fresh food donations as well, whether you want to do the shopping or simply tell us what you want your financial donation to purchase. And we will always need toilet paper, full sized toothpaste, and shampoo/conditioner.
 
We are excited to create deeper and more meaningful relationships with our business partners. You are equally committed to making Manhattan and the surrounding area a wonderful place to live, work, and play. Thank you for all you do for us and other service providers- and be ready for new things ahead!
 
Thanks Friends!
Karla