The Blue Ox Bakery

The Blue Ox Bakery was found in Minneapolis, MN USA with the mission to end hunger and poverty by closing the social inequality gaps in today’s society, by using food to help change the way people think about history and the future ahead, and to make real time change through supporting organizing in community to ensure all in community have equal rights, equal justice, and are treated the same as everyone else without having to fear for their life. While working for social change the Blue Ox Bakery also chooses to live and work in a truthful narrative of the community, not one that gives advantage to one group of people over another in working for positive change through the commonality of bread and baking in general, as well developing understanding that we are all the same, all people need is to be open to similarities.

Currently the Blue Ox Bakery is working with the local deaf community developing a viable career training program in baking for those with hearing disabilities and communicating predominantly in American Sign Language.

You can find more information about the bakery HERE!

Special Kneads and Treats Inc.

Special Kneads and Treats Inc. was started in Lawrenceville, GA, USA in 2008, when Tempa and her husband Michael started thinking about what their son Bradley (born with Fragile X Syndrome) would work after he turned 22 years old and aged out of the county supported programs. As they were looking through options, they were given the vision for a bakery that would employ special needs adults and impact the community in a positive way by providing free birthday cakes to children whose families could not afford to purchase one. Years later the bakery turned into reality and they opened the bakery in 2014. Even though the beginning of the bakery was challenging, Special Kneads and Treats Inc. has grown fast and they now employ 16 special-needs adults along with 4 such adults that volunteer and another 150+ on a waiting list.

The mission of Special Kneads and Treats Inc. is to focus on the success of the baking industry and equip special needs adults with the necessary skills to take advantage of special events (such as weddings, birthdays, etc.) in the South East Region of the USA. Special Kneads and Treats Inc., operates based on ideals driven from over 30 years of cake decorating and baking experience.

More information about Special Kneads and Treats, Inc. is available at http://www.specialkneadsandtreats.org/.

Homebaked Cooperative Anfield

Homebaked has grown out of the project, 2Up 2Down, initiated and supported by Liverpool Biennial and artist Jeanne van Heeswijk and aiming to support the local community to “take matters into our own hands” regarding the future of our neighborhood.

After 2 ½ years of community engagement, Homebaked Community Land Trust was established in April 2012 with the aim of refurbishing the bakery building to provide workspace for social enterprise and affordable housing. Inspired by CLTs in Boston, East London, and Cumbria, it is run by a board of volunteers including people from the local area and professionals from the fields of law, architecture, accountancy and housing.

The design of the original scheme involved 59 local young people working with architects to create a new shop front and kitchen, a community space, growing space and flats above the bakery.

The Homebaked Bakery Co-operative was incorporated in June 2012 by a group of local residents passionate about the possibilities of re-opening the bakery in community ownership, and creating a successful enterprise with social as well as financial value.

After a period of community baking classes, skill sharing and test trading, the bakery is now open as a business 6 days a week. It is a place for local people to buy fresh, affordable bakery products, together with serving the considerable match day and daily tourism market generated by the football club.

Luminary Bakery

Rising Hope in East  London

Luminary is an innovative response to a need we saw for vulnerable women who have had a social and economic disadvantage. We are a social enterprise designed to offer opportunities for women to build a future for themselves and their families. We provide a safe and professional environment where women can grow holistically – encouraging ambition, restoration and second chances. We use baking as a tool to take women on a journey to employability and entrepreneurship, equipping them with practical and transferrable skills for the working world. We offer courses, work experience and paid employment within our bakery, empowering women to build a career and a positive future. By investing in and releasing them to realize their dreams, through training, employment and community, we aim to break the generational cycles of abuse, prostitution, criminal activity and poverty, which currently hold these women back from reaching their potential.

http://www.luminarybakery.com/

NadEzhKo

NadEzhko Social Bakery in Sofia, Bulgaria, is a bakery social enterprise part of the Bread Houses Network. BHN is a non-for-profit association, which creates and unites centers for community-building, creativity, and social entrepreneurship with the mission to inspire individuals and communities to discover their creative potential and cooperate across all ages, economic opportunities, disabilities and trauma, and ethnic backgrounds – all through our unique collective bread-making methods and proven Bread therapy with accompanying art forms and sustainable ecological education.

In 2014 we opened our Bread House and social enterprise bakery in Sofia called “NadEzhko”. It offers a wide variety of handmade sourdough breads and different ecological products from Bulgaria. In the bakery we train and employ people from vulnerable groups: orphans, long-term unemployed, mothers of many children. In addition, at Sofia Bread House, we developed and offer special paid programs, including:

• “Bread building” as a teambuilding method, appreciated by major international companies
• “3S: Sifting-Shaping-Sharing”, alternative career counseling method for young people, already successfully diffused in Austria
• “Cultures and Breads of the World” Educational Program, engaging people to explore the cultures of around 30+ countries by making their traditional breads
• “Kitchen music” and “Theater of Crumbs” regular community baking events for mixed groups
• “Playing kitchen” a unique tool to develop healthy eating habits in kids employing funny food activities

These programs and activities can be booked by companies, schools and kindergartens, universities, families and friends, and also for special occasions like birthdays and corporate parties. The financial income from our paid services is used for :

• our various social projects
• regular weekly free Bread therapy sessions with our proven methods helping people with disabilities, orphans, women victims of domestic violence, and others
• regular weekly community baking events for mixed groups fostering social cohesion and integration across all ages and special needs

The broad vision of the Bread Houses Network is to root social inclusion in simplicity. Our programs are for everybody, not limited to gender, age, profession, abilities, class, or ethnic heritage, thus uniting young and old, rich and poor, stranger and friend.

Here is a panoram view of NadWzhko