We love questions and we get asked a lot of them. Sometimes we get asked the same question again and again. That’s when we know it’s something a lot of you are thinking about. 

We’ve answered some of your questions before and thought it was time to do it again.

Today we’re answering one of our most common questions: “What do you do with your product at the end of the day?”

Answer: We donate to local food banks and homeless shelters. 

This was a no-brainer for us – we’ve actually been doing this with our products since Ashley’s Pastries first opened the bakery doors. 

We know we are blessed, and we know there is a huge need right here in our community. People are hungry. They aren’t sure where they’ll get their next meal, or if they can feed their children tomorrow.  According to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap report, 16% of people in the Miami Valley are food insecure. That’s higher than the national average is 12.7%. 

Now the need is greater than ever. With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing people to cut back on hours at work, or worse, lose their jobs, many families have been forced to make difficult decisions, including where to get food or how to pay for housing. 

We are fortunate to be in a position where we can help, even if it’s just a small amount at the end of the day. We know our baked goods are going to people and places that need them. 

When families already have so much to worry about, food shouldn’t be another thing on the list. 

We partner with St. Vincent de Paul Dayton, the faith-based nonprofit that serves the homeless and impoverished by providing emergency shelter, food, clothing and more to those most in need in our community. 

Another partner is House of Bread, a local organization that provides hot, nutritious lunchtime meals 365 days a year. Even during these tough times, and with tighter restrictions due to the pandemic, House of Bread is still serving up food, offering carryout lunches daily. 

We also help The Good Neighbor House, an organization working with under-served populations to provide needed health and human services. 

At the end of the day, we work with these organizations and share our food items that weren’t sold that day. We use high-quality, fresh ingredients, so if we have leftover loaves of bread, muffins, rolls, cookies, donuts — whatever it may be — we want the products to be eaten and enjoyed. We know partnering with these community organizations is a win/win for everyone. Our products are needed and can be used to feed the hungry, and we are happy to be able to serve our neighbors. 

We know bad things can happen to good people, and sometimes, people just need a helping hand. If donating our products makes a positive difference for someone, we are all for it.

 It feels good to know we are having a small impact and spreading goodwill right here in the Dayton area by doing something that seems so simple, natural and easy for us to do. Often that’s the best way to make a difference in your community – small, simple acts that have a lasting impact on others. 

If you don’t know much about these organizations we partner with, we encourage you to take a look and learn more about them. Perhaps you might feel called to lend a hand, or give of your time, talent or treasure, too. Perhaps there are other organizations in the community you are a part of, and you’re already working with or supporting them in a way that is making a positive impact, too. 

Throughout 2020 we often heard “we’re all in this together”. That rings true now more than ever. We are all in this community, this life, together, and we need each other, through the good times and the bad, to make it through to the brighter days ahead.