Uncommon Giving- Panera Cares: Dignified Dining for the Hungry with Kate Antonacci

The face of hunger is changing.  Panera Doesn’t offer a Free Lunch – It Offers Caring for people from all walks of life.

Panera Cares community cafes are about working together, shoulder to shoulder with our customers, to confront a serious problem plaguing communities across this country. Hunger. Simply put, in these non-profit locations, we will feed anyone. We will offer a dignified dining experience in an uplifting environment – without judgment – whether or not a person can pay. Panera Cares community cafes – operated by the Panera Bread Foundation, a separate Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity – are meant to raise the level of awareness about food insecurity in this country, while also being a catalyst for change in our communities.

Panera Cares community cafes are designed to help address the ever-worsening epidemic of food insecurity (hunger) in the U.S.  Consider this: according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), over 17 million U.S. households are considered food insecure. Simply put, for a significant number of Americans, putting food on the table is a struggle. 16 million kids – 1 in 5 – do not have enough to eat each day and lack the means to get enough nutritious food on a regular basis.

Kate Antonacci is the Director of Societal Impact Initiatives at Panera Bread. In this role, Kate is responsible for the company’s initiatives related to fighting food insecurity, fixing a broken food system and being a good corporate citizen. In addition to overseeing local hunger initiatives, Kate leads the company’s national strategic partnerships (e.g. Feeding America) and works to help Panera assume a more proactive voice in elevating the national discussion about hunger in America.

Prior to undertaking the Panera Cares project, Kate served as a Panera spokesperson, manager for corporate communications and Special Assistant to the CEO. Before joining Panera, Kate worked for various news organizations, including CNN, PBS and Bloomberg.

To hear the show click on image.

Panera Cares website is http://paneracares.org/