he generous financial (& food!) donations that the Bread Line received through the community support of the United Way Tanana Valley & wrote an excellent feature on it that also spotlights Chef Matt’s work at the Stone Soup Cafe!

This past September, we were filming with the United Way for their workplace campaign when Chef Matt offhandedly noted that the soup kitchen was entirely out of meat – he had just cooked the last six chickens we had. The Stone Soup Cafe has been serving more people more food than ever in our 36 year history & doing so during a pandemic. This fall, the strain on our resources began to show. Our usual donated food supply lines have been heavily impacted by the pandemic & need was rising. Our staff is incredible at stretching things to make ends meet – but you can’t stretch nothing.

When Chef Matt mentioned out of meat, the United Way of the Tanana Valley jumped into action. That same afternoon, UWTV interim Executive Director, Jennifer Luke, personally delivered an armload of frozen chickens for us to use the following day. She also encouraged us to apply for emergency funding to purchase food. We had been approved for a large CARESĀ grant, through the Alaska Community Foundation, but it was going to be weeks before those funds arrived. The quick work of the UWTV staff & board made it possible to purchase food the next day – so we never missed a beat feeding people.

Community like this is what makes our mission possible. Thank you United Way of the Tanana Valley & thank you Fairbanks Daily News Miner for highlighting this good work happening in Fairbanks!

UWTV
Bread Line’s Director, Hannah, & UWTV’s Director, Jennifer
with Jennifer’s daughter & an armload of frozen chickens