“Our employees have stepped up and are willing to work and to do whatever they can to make sure our customers are being supplied and our bread is being delivered on time. We don’t have to tell them that, they realize the severity of the situation. They came to us asking what needs to be done and how they can help. Our employees are heroes,” Tonie Spearing, CEO of in Traverse City said.
Many places of employment have shut down in response to COVID-19, but not Stone House Bread. They’re working to make sure local grocers have all the bread they need, but also that their employees have all the hours they need. Not only is the bakery keeping the hours for its employees, but they’re also looking to bring on a few other community members in need.
“We would be interested in hearing about people who need work and to bring on people who need help during this time. Bread is something that people really want for their pantries right now. They’re not eating out as much, they’re cooking at home.”
The bakery is making and selling a lot more bread to keep shelves at local grocery stores stocked.
Stone House has been making wild fermented sourdough from well water and the same mother starter for 25 years, and their bread isn’t going to slow in production any time soon, pandemic or not.
“Right now we’re making around 12,000 loaves of bread every delivery day. We’ve been bringing way more bread into the stores than we have in the past.”
They’ve also put their bread for sale on their website with free shipping for those who are choosing to avoid the grocery stores altogether but still want to make sure that they don’t run out of bread.
Donating bread is a regular thing for Stone House. They regularly donate to local homeless shelters and food pantries and will continue to do so through the COVID-19 pandemic. This year alone they’ve donated $75,000 worth of bread. For Tonie, though, this is all in a day’s work. She feels that people deserve a quality product in good times and bad times.
“When we’re doing less, moving less, working less, there should be intention in what we’re doing with our bodies. We’re healthy, all-natural, whole grains, and that’s a great option for families to nourish themselves with.”
We all deserve to have work and food, and Stone House is providing both of those things for some of our community members in a more vulnerable position at the moment. If you’re looking for seasonal work to fill in some gaps, you’re not alone. Reach out to Stone House Bread at: production@stonehousebread.com for more information.
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