The House of Bread, a community kitchen that serves free hot lunches 365 days a year to thousands of people in a city that has received national attention for food insecurity, is breaking ground on an expansion of its facilities that will help serve more families in need.
The addition to the building at 9 Orth Ave. will create a new dining room for families and children that will allow House of Bread’s youngest guests to eat in a welcoming, friendly environment. Adult guests will continue to enjoy lunch in the non-profit’s main dining room.
The building project will also include improvements to the kitchen, food storage and sorting areas, and entryway. Two new conference rooms will provide space for guests to meet with staff and outreach workers from area social service organizations.
House of Bread’s staff, many volunteers and board of trustees will celebrate the beginning of construction with a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, June 6 at 2 pm in front of the building at 9 Orth Ave. The public is invited to attend.
Melodie Bennett, Executive Director of House of Bread, said, “The challenges of food insecurity in our region are frustrating and heartbreaking. This expansion will ensure that people of all ages have a place where they are treated to a hot, healthy meal, and treated with respect.”
“We’re so happy and proud to finally get to work improving our building for our guests,” said Ron Rollins, chair of the board. “We know that we’ll meet new families and kids who are looking forward to a warm, nutritious meal who may not have come to dine with us before. House of Bread is one of the most important places where hunger and food insecurity are being fought in our community, and we’re pleased to be able to soon play a bigger part.”
The general contractor on the project will be Tri Tec Inc., a minority-owned firm based in Montgomery County. House of Bread has been working on the project up to this point with LWC Inc., an architectural firm headquartered in Dayton. The board has been working on an 18-month capital campaign to finance construction, which is ongoing.
To learn more about House of Bread and its work, or to volunteer to help serve lunch, or to donate to either its operations or the building campaign, visit houseofbread.org.
