The House of Bread community kitchen in West Dayton has been feeding area residents and families in need for more than 30 years. Now, the nonprofit is close to reaching its goal in a major capital campaign aimed at expanding its existing facility.
House of Bread has already raised about $800,000 toward its overall goal of $1.4 million.
Executive director Melodie Bennett says all funds raised in the campaign will be used to expand the organization’s now-overcrowded dining room facilities.
“We’re going to offer the opportunity for that family that drives by on a Saturday, and they look through that window and see every seat taken and they say, wow, there’s no room for us," she says. "We want to create space for them where they feel welcome.”
Bennett says House of Bread served more than 123,000 meals last year. The community kitchen averages close to 250 guests each day of the year. It also provide meals to other social service organizations that serve House of Bread clients.
The nearly 5,000-square-foot expansion of its facility on Orth Avenue in West Dayton is scheduled to begin this fall and should be completed by summer, 2018.
The extra space will allow House of Bread to serve nearly 30,000 more meals per year, officials say.
