About Us
Our purpose
The Bread Line has been “feeding people & affirming lives” in Fairbanks, Alaska since 1984.
We depend on commUNITY donations & volunteers to meet our mission.
A weekday soup kitchen with good food in a community space
Culinary job training teaching two adult classes annually
Growing our own in beautiful downtown Fairbanks
Involving local children & their families in addressing food insecurity
The Legend of Stone Soup
A traveler arrives in a poor village in search of food. The townsfolk explain that they can each barely feed themselves, let alone a hungry stranger & ask him to move on. Instead, the traveler offers to make the town some stone soup. Pulling a stone from his pocket, he drops it into a pot of water over a fire. The traveler then asks if anyone can add a little bit of cabbage, & a farmer does. He asks if anyone can spare just a few carrots & a villager does. One by one, the villagers contribute as they can, until the whole community is gathered around a boiling pot of delicious soup to be shared among everyone. The moral of the story is that, with cooperation, everyone can have enough & together we create something much bigger than what we have alone. This doesn’t happen with a magic stone – it happens with your community caring.
Fairbanks Has Its Own Stone Soup Legend
Our own Stone Soup story began over 30 years ago, when local residents James & Sharon Hunter encountered downtown neighbors who didn’t have enough to eat. They started making sandwiches & distributing them from their backpacks to folks on the street but soon saw that there wasn’t enough room in their backpacks to feed everyone in need. So James & Sharon went to Dick Farris to share their concern. They approached a local church about the possibility of serving a hot, midday meal in the basement—The Bread Line community meal program was born. Today, Bread Line Stone Soup operate their programs—Stone Soup Cafe, the Kids Cafe, Stone’s Throw job training & the Stone Soup Garden project— from their own building on Gaffney Road. From this location at the center of the City of Fairbanks, we reach out to neighbors around our community.
Our People
Hannah Hill
Hannah has been with the Bread Line since 2016 & its Executive Director since 2018. Previously employed as everything from a butcher, a baker to a candlestick maker – being a part of the Bread Line team fills their cup like no other work has. When not at the soup kitchen, Hannah can be found volunteering for NASA’s Solar System Ambassador program, hosting a weekly space science radio show or fussing around with their numerous house plants.
Emma DeRuyter
Emma DeRuyter was born & raised in the Goldstream Valley of Fairbanks, Alaska until 2016, when she moved to Bend, Oregon with her family. After going to high school in Bend & spending a year at college in Eugene, she decided it was time to move back to Fairbanks full time. Emma truly believes in the notion of “love all & serve all ” & is very excited to be a part of The Bread Line’s mission to support & nourish the Fairbanks community.
Matt Davis
Matt has been cooking at the Stone Soup Cafe since 2014 & is known for his “home cooked” meals as much as he is his warm smile & big heart, Every day, Chef Matt makes sure that everyone can eat a hot meal in a safe space. When he’s not cooking up a storm in the kitchen, Matt can be found wrenching on his rigs, skiing, hiking or rollerblading (depending on the weather).
Abby Waldorf
Abby manages the Bread Line’s weekday soup kitchen, the Stone Soup Cafe. Her excitement for getting food into bellies has led her to various food jobs around town, most recently having finished her first season as a farm hand at Calypso Farm. She lives in a cabin with her cat & enjoys skiing, cooking, playing board games with friends & watching sub-par horror movies.
Marisa Pena
Born & raised in the Philippines, Marisa & her family moved to Chicago in 1998, where she earned a BAS in Culinary Management. Over the next decade, she worked in professional kitchens from fast food to fine dining. Marisa came to the village of Tok in 2013 for a summer job but soon fell in love with Alaska & decided to make Fairbanks. The Bread Line is Marisa’s first venture into the nonprofit world – she is honored & excited to be part of an organization that makes positive changes in the Fairbanks community.
Liann Peryea
Peter Miller
Garden Manager
Peter Miller has been the Stone Soup Community Garden’s manager since 2022. Peter has a BS in Cell Biology & Neuroscience, WWOOFed on organic farms/homesteads & holds a Permaculture Design Certificate. He is a natural champion of food security & has a wealth of practical knowledge.
Our Board
Kristina Miller
Board Chair
Kristina Miller currently serves as the Bread Line Board’s Chair. She is a local attorney, a mother, an activist & an epicure. Kristina’s work with the Bread Line reflects her love for good food & a big community, where helping feed people great food brings the best of both worlds together.
Jason Case
Board Vice Chair
Jason Case currently serves as the Bread Line Board’s Vice Chair. “I joined the board because of the Bread Line mission & the amazing programs that benefit our community. I enjoy the sense of community Stone Soup Cafe creates by bringing people together for a meal & encouragement. It’s a great place to volunteer & meet new people.” Jason is a longtime Fairbanksan. He enjoys helping others, meeting new people, playing soccer, fishing, traveling, laughing & exploring the back country of Alaska with his family.
Jennifer Redmond
Jennifer Redmond currently holds the position of Treasurer on the Board of Directors for the Bread Line. She is wholeheartedly committed to the organization’s mission of “feeding people & affirming lives.” In her professional capacity, Jennifer serves as the Project Controller at Alaska Communications supporting the Alaska FiberOptic Project. She brings years of grants leadership experience from some of Alaska’s most esteemed organizations. Outside of work, she finds fulfillment in spending quality time with her loved ones & her bernedoodles, Buddy & Banksy.
Ileane Polis
Board Secretary
Ileane is an Assistant Public Defender with the Alaska Public Defender Agency. She is based out of Fairbanks & Utqiagvik. When she is not working, Ileane Polis enjoys spending time with her dog, practicing yoga, skiing, or reading.
Karen Lane
Board Member
Karen is the longest serving member of the Bread Line’s Board of Directors. Also longtime Fairbanksan, Karen is well-known in the community for her dedication to making our town a more vibrant & active place.
Tulugak Fleagle
Board Member
Kunaan Julie Smyth
Kunaan was born & raised in Fairbanks, Alaska. As a child, Kunaan’s family utilized the services of the Bread Line & – as an adult – Kunaan found herself food insecure. As she began to heal from these experiences & learn about the social issues of generational poverty, Kunaan began volunteering. After volunteering with the Bread Line for a number of years, they joined the board to further help the community & learn from an organization with a long history of service in Fairbanks. Kunaan also hosts the podcast Caffeine with Kunaan – available on all major listening platforms.
Liz Lyke
Board Member
Erin Morotti
Board Member
Erin Morotti is the newest member of Bread Line’s Board of Directors.
Professionally, she is the finance manager for the Education Trust of Alaska & is an adjunct professor teaching nonprofit & government accounting. Outside of her day jobs, she is dedicated to service to others through her volunteer work on several non-profit boards & committees. In her free time, Erin enjoys traveling, cloud watching & spending time with her loved ones.