By Ken Bresnan, Parish Outreach Liaison

Wheat, rye and sourdough.
Rolls, baguettes and flat-bread.
Ciabatta, focaccia and cornbread. These are a few of my favorite breads.

Being an American, bread is a major part of my diet. It might not be a basic food group but it sure is basic to me. I can’t eat Italian food without a piece of French bread close by. Chili begs for a slice or two of bread. A fresh baked crescent roll entices all of my senses. And then there is the sandwich, the staple of my lunch time diet. I love them all and can’t conceive of a diet without some type of bread regularly.

You probably feel the same way.

But it occurred to me yesterday that we fail to realize how fortunate we are to have something as simple as bread when I stopped by St. Mary Family Center (Catholic Charities food pantry).

I was chatting with the coordinator about how much in demand bread is at their food pantry. It is rare that they ever have enough to get through the day. That gave me pause to reflect that a good percentage of our neighbors in this area may not regularly have a simple item like bread that is so basic to me.

Once again, I am reminded how important St. Mary Family Center and other excellent food pantries are to our community. It does make me proud that they are there to help provide basic items that I think all should have.