FLOUR POWER

We Invite You to Join Slow Food East End’s
Community Powered Baking Co-Operative

Flour Power Needs You! How it all started…

When the COVID crisis battered our health, our spirits, our food systems and in turn our local food pantries, Slow Food East End evaluated our resources to determine how we could best help our community. We have a sizable group of followers on the East End and realized that if we were able to mobilize them, we could support food pantries across the East End. We turned to one of our 2021 board members, David Chaffin, previously been an executive chef at Amy's Bread, to come up with a nutritious shelf-stable bread recipe that we could share with volunteers to bake bi-weekly at home to share with pantries.

We knew if we provided the direction and organization together, we could make a difference. During the crisis, our Flour Power volunteers baked over a thousand loaves of bread and reminded us that grassroots engagement is a powerful force. Our promotional campaigns reminded all that baking together was indeed the yeast we can do in this crisis. And because nothing smells and tastes like love quite like the gift of home-baked bread, baking for a purpose became a great way to actively involve our members to help others when we all felt a bit helpless. Flour Power truly nourished the bodies and souls of the bakers and recipients.

Today, the need to support food pantries endures, so we have pivoted from bi-weekly bakes to targeted baking efforts each quarter. If you have the time to bake for future bake events, you'll be able to help feed so many, including seniors, disabled individuals, low-income workers, and families who are in need. The process is simple: Bakers make loaves using our Flour Power recipe that yields four loaves—we suggest each baker donate three and keep one for themselves.

How Does Flour Power Work?

Registered bakers will receive emails about upcoming donation opportunities and designated drop-off points. For each baking event Flour Power coolers are placed at the appropriate drop-off sites. Bakers deliver their fresh bread to these coolers and a representative delivers the bread to the appropriate food pantry or community organization.

Yes, everyone can participate, no experience is necessary to follow David Chaffin's recipe that anyone can bake—no experience necessary. His step-by-step bread-baking video is available anytime as a helpful guide. Sign up to help us with baking or organizational efforts HERE

I’d Like to Help But I’m Not a Baker

If baking isn’t your skill set, you can still support the program by volunteering to help coordinate our efforts on the North and South forks or by donating HERE.