AI NEWS BREW REVIEW

Founded during the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization has transformed home kitchens into vital food security nodes, donating over 200,000 loaves of bread and 220,000 energy cookies to food banks since 2020 [1].

"I just get really excited about it knowing that it's going to someone and they're going to make, like, 10 sandwiches," says Cheryl Ewaldsen, a 75-year-old retired university human resources director and volunteer baker [1].

The initiative comes at a critical time, with food bank client lists tripling in some regions and federal food aid experiencing significant reductions. By providing fresh, whole-grain bread, Community Loaves offers nutritionally superior alternatives to processed donations [2][3].

Led by Katherine Kehrli, a former culinary school dean, the organization spans Washington, Oregon, California, and Idaho, representing one of the largest community-driven food security networks in the western United States [1].

As grocery prices continue to rise and government support wanes, Community Loaves exemplifies how local, collaborative efforts can address critical societal challenges, one loaf at a time.