The Power of a Homemade Treat: Compass Employees Bake Bread for the Lifebridge Backpack Program

By Casey Master

While researching volunteer opportunities for her real estate company, Compass Sales Manager Kim Folan came across Lifebridge North Shore. She asked around her office, and after hearing about Compass team member Stewart Kaznoski’s previous positive experience with the organization, she knew it was the right decision. Folan chose Lifebridge because, “they help the community in need, and I liked the various unique volunteer opportunities.”

The Compass group was invited to volunteer for the Lifebridge Backpack Program in preparation for their distribution day last winter. The Lifebridge Backpack Program distributes backpacks to people who are street homeless filled with personal hygiene, health, and safety items twice a year in June and December. Lifebridge had recently acquired a building in Beverly that had a full commercial kitchen, and this new volunteer group presented a unique opportunity for the backpack program: the Compass team could bake small, individually wrapped loaves of bread for people who are homeless to put in their new backpacks.

While some people may not think a small banana bread would have a big impact, Folan described how much baking the bread meant to her and the clients who received it. She had previously volunteered with Open Door in Ipswich, and the experience made the severity of the food crisis stick with her. “It’s so difficult for me to think about children going to school hungry, or families not being able to afford ingredients for healthy meals,” she said. “I want to continue volunteering to help those in need.”

While people who are street homeless can access full nutritious meals at Lifebridge locations in Salem and Gloucester, special treats like these breads are also important for restoring people’s dignity and sense of belonging. “A Lifebridge staff member told me about clients who felt nostalgic when they received the homemade bread during the Backpack Program’s distribution day,” Folan said.

She described the overall experience as extremely positive. “It was great! We all arrived on time and there was a woman who is a personal chef who directed us through the whole baking process,” she explained. The team baked dozens of bread loaves together. “It was a great layout for us to work in; the chef was extremely organized and laid all the ingredients out for us.”

Folan also shared that volunteering as a group was a great team building opportunity. “We had a lot of laughs and just got to know each other, both the volunteers within Compass and the people from Lifebridge.”

After the day of baking, Folan expressed interest in continuing to volunteer at Lifebridge. “It was especially meaningful to be able to give back around the holidays,” she added.

Are you interested in volunteering solo or as a group?

Contact volunteer@lifebridgenorthshore.org today!