COBS Bread Stratford raises more than $4,000 for Local Community Food Centre

Julie Docker Johnson of the Local Community Food Centre accepts a cheque from COBS Bread Stratford owners during a presentation at the Local.

On March 7, COBS Bread at the Stratford Mall donated $2 from every six-pack of hot cross buns sold to support local charities through its Doughnation Day initiative. From Feb. 7 to March 7, the bakery also accepted in-store monetary donations.

The Local Community Food Centre was this year’s recipient, receiving more than $4,000 to help support and feed community members in Stratford.

Across North America, COBS Bread raised $475,159 through this year’s Doughnation Day. Since the initiative began, the company has raised $2.2 million for local charities.

Jerry Arai, owner of COBS Bread Stratford, said the initiative is a fundamental part of the business’s commitment to community service, and selecting the Local was an easy decision.

“Even before the store was built, we came out and met with Julie and saw what they were doing at the Local, and we just fell in love with the concept,” he said. “We came to meet Julie and stayed for the community meal a couple of times.”

In addition to Doughnation Day, COBS Bread supports local organizations through daily donations of unsold bread and in-kind contributions.

“We like to donate through in-kind contributions to the Local and other charities, but financial contributions can really help as well,” said Arai. “They’re well-loved within the community, and we saw just how supportive people were during Doughnation Day.”

The donation comes at a time when the Local Community Food Centre is seeing a significant increase in demand. Julie Docker Johnson, community connector at the Local, said meal service numbers have reached record highs in recent months.

“The Friday lunch during March Break saw 324 meals served, and the previous record was 224,” she said.

The funds will be used to support operational costs, which Docker Johnson said are often the hardest to cover.

“Generally, with grants or fundraising, it’s for specific initiatives, which is very much needed,” she said. “But receiving funding to help with operational costs – things like rent, gas, snow removal or keeping the lights on – isn’t as visible, but it’s just as important, if not more.”

With growing concerns around food insecurity and food waste, COBS Bread locations across North America donate unsold products daily to local charities.

“It’s fundamental to what we do,” said Arai. “My wife is the principal of this business, and supporting communities is her true passion. The community supports us so we can continue doing what we love – baking and selling fresh bread. It’s only right that we support the communities that support us.”