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 their weekly space science radio show or fussing with their numerous house plants.

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 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 over 120 people eat a nutritious, 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 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.

Born and raised in the Philippines, Marisa and 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 and decided to make Fairbanks her new home, where she currently lives with her significant other (who is also a chef) and their dogs. The Bread Line is Marisa’s first venture into the non-profit world and she is honored and excited to be part of an organization that makes positive changes in the Fairbanks community.

In the 7 years that Liann has been a production chef for the Bread Line, she has made over 100,000 delicious meals for Tanana Chiefs Housing First, gone to college, hosted countless cooking demos at the Southside Community Market & served on their board, started her own food truck (the one & ONLY Tots Proper), raised her 6 incredible kids, worked with Calypso Farm‘s Community Roots program, taught in our Stone’s Throw culinary job training classes… & a whole lot more.

Peter was born & raised in Fairbanks. After receiving a BS in Cell Biology & Neuroscience, he WWOOFed on organic farms & homesteads, obtaining a Permaculture Design Certificate. He worked maintaining the community garden at UAF & at Calypso Farm in a number of capacities, learning how they cultivate an abundance of food in our specific climate while educating other Alaskans in these practices. This will be his third summer managing the Stone Soup Community Garden for the Bread Line.

Kristina Miller is trial attorney with the Alaska Public Defender Agency, a mother, an activist, epicure & the Bread Line’s board Chair. Her love for good food & big community is reflected in Kristina’s work with the Bread Line, where helping feed people great food brings the best of both worlds together.

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.

Ileane is an Assistant Public Defender with the Alaska Public Defender Agency, based out of Fairbanks & Utqiagvik. Ileane is also the Bread Line’s board Secretary. When she is not working, Ileane Polis enjoys spending time with her dog, practicing yoga, skiing, or reading.

Jennifer Redmond, & and raised in Fairbanks, serves as the Treasurer for the Bread Line’s Board of Directors & is dedicated to the mission of “feeding people & affirming lives.” She is a Grants Administrator with Chugachmiut, which is an Alaska Native non-profit that serves the Chugach region. In her free time, she volunteers with the Cook Inlet Soccer Club & enjoys spending time with family & bernedoodle Banksy. It is an enriching experience to serve on the board with compassionate people doing incredible work in her hometown. The work of the Bread Line touces lives meaningfully every day, leaving a lasting impact on the Fairbanks community.

Tulugak is a born & raised Fairbanksan, who has 6 children & lives in a cabin in the woods. As a new Board Member he looks forward to contributing to the mission of the Bread Line.

“I believe in compassion & empathy in everything I do. Working with wonderful people, for a great cause, sounds like a fantastic new path for me.”

A longtime Fairbanksan, Karen is well-known in the community for her dedication to making our town a more vibrant and active place to live.

Carla Baker is originally from Anchorage & came to Fairbanks for a new experience. In Fairbanks, she moved into the Fairbanks Recovery Residence for women, to continue her life of recovery. While residing there, she volunteered everyday at Interior Alaska Center for Non-Violent Living.

Carla is also a 2020 graduate of the Bread Line’s Stone’s Throw culinary job training program. Some things Carla is passionate about are helping other women in recovery, giving back to her community wherever she can & working hard to achieve her many goals & dreams. When she’s not working she also enjoys hockey games, fishing, bike rides & making new friendships.

Liz has been volunteering weekly at Stone Soup since 2021. She knows the Bread Line as a great place where people can directly give their time and resources to help others in our commUNITY.

She previously served on the Fairbanks Co-Op Market Board and the Fairbanks Borough Assembly and hopes those experiences will help Bread Line continue to feed people and affirm lives.

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.