My favorite time of year...

This is my first blog post, but I've been reading along for quite some time now. I've decided to come out of hiding to tell you all about why the fall is my favorite time of year. Maybe it's because I was one of the weird kids that actually looked forward to going back to school. Maybe it's because I started working at Bread for the City in the fall, so I'm flooded with fond memories (I celebrated 3 years on staff 2 weeks ago). Maybe it's because the fall months mean that it's finally going to stop being so darned hot...or maybe it's because fall is the time of year when my two favorite things happen at Bread for the City. I think that's it!

Although all of the reasons above are true, I love this time of year because it means the Good Hope Awards and Holiday Helpings are right around the corner!

"What are the Good Hope Awards and Holiday Helpings?" you may be asking. Well, I'm here to tell you...

The Good Hope Awards is an awards breakfast we hold each year to recognize the many volunteers that help BFC staff to make our mission a reality...this year it will be on October 7th. Did you know that over 1500 volunteers come through our doors each year? Of those, 50-80 come on a regular basis and really become a part of the organization. We could not do what we do without these people. In fact, Bread for the City was founded by a group of dedicated volunteers, so it's no surprise that 34 years later volunteers remain an integral part of our daily operations. In the coming weeks you're going to hear all about the 8 extraordinary volunteers and organizations that will be recognized with Good Hope awards this year...you'll have to stay tuned to see who our awardees will be!

Holiday Helpings is our annual campaign to provide holiday meals to 10,000 low-income families in DC. This is made possible through a team effort of BFC staff, volunteers, and area businesses, schools, religious groups, and organizations who hold cash & food drives on our behalf. It's a fast-paced, high-energy, fun-filled time that serves as such a great reminder of why Bread for the City exists. We are here to make life better for those who need us...over the holidays and every day in between. That's all I'm going to tell you about Holiday Helpings for now (although, if you want more information or would like to get involved you can email me at vbreitbarth@breadforthecity.org), but I'll be back with more information soon.

In the meantime, tune in next week to learn about the winners of the 2008 Good Hope Awards. See you then!