Daily Bread - An Ecumenical Food Pantry Inc

Serving Greater Danbury Since 1984

aka Daily Bread Food Pantry   |   Danbury, CT   |  https://www.dailybreadfoodpantry.com/

Mission

To provide food free of charge to anyone in need whatever their circumstances.

Notes from the nonprofit

We are a community-focused organization operated by volunteers who are dedicated to helping those in need of help, whatever their background or circumstances.

Ruling year info

1991

President

Peter Kent

Main address

P.O. Box 2

Danbury, CT 06813-0002 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

06-1152682

NTEE code info

Food Banks, Food Pantries (K31)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Tackling the immediate needs of individuals dealing with food insecurity while working toward a more comprehensive solution that addresses the underlying causes of food insecurity in the populations we serve.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Ongoing Food Distribution

Providing healthy food free of charge to all those in need.

Population(s) Served
Social and economic status

Where we work

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Ensuring everyone who needs food to alleviate food insecurity is given immediate help with healthy food free of charge and is also directed toward resources that might provide longer-term solutions.

1. Ensure we have the funding and in-kind resources to address immediate food insecurity in the communities we serve.

3. Improve the quality and healthiness of the food we distribute by focusing on acquiring food that meets the criteria identified in the 2020 Report "Healthy Eating Research Nutrition Guidelines for the Charitable Food System ."

3. Partner with regional food banks, private and government community organizations, and others to ensure access to longer-term programs that focus on the underlying causes of food insecurity.

We have an engaged and dynamic leadership with many years' experience running food pantries.

We have successfully responded to the biggest challenge facing the organization in its nearly forty-year history: the explosion in food insecurity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. From serving around 120 households per week at the beginning of 2020, we now regularly serve closer to 400 - and at the height of the pandemic many more than that.

Not only was no-one turned away without food, we increased both the quantity and quality of the food distributed.

As the pandemic (hopefully) recedes, we plan to "build back better" so that we continue the shift to healthier food choices. As soon as the decline in guest numbers to pre-COVID levels allows, we will return to a "shopping" distribution model which gives guests more agency and dignity than the current "grab and go" model introduced to deal with the safety and sheer numbers issues caused by the pandemic.

In the longer term, as noted above, we will focus more on the underlying causes of food insecurity in the communities we serve. Obviously, we are just a small part of that effort. But by working more closely with our partners, there is much more we can do than simply respond to food insecurity as the "emergency" that never ends.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We demonstrated a willingness to learn more by reviewing resources about feedback practice.
done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • Who are the people you serve with your mission?

    Anyone in need of food - for whatever reason - in the Greater Danbury, CT area.

  • How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?

    Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Many volunteers are also people we serve,

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,

  • What significant change resulted from feedback?

    We have made certain to include the most frequently requested food and personal care items in our distribution offerings - even if those items have to be purchased from commercial vendors (vs, obtained from our Food Bank partner, donations, etc.)

  • With whom is the organization sharing feedback?

    The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,

  • How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?

    To the extent possible, we adjust our operations to the preferences of our guests. In that sense, our guests feel they have agency over the services we offer.

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded,

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback,

Financials

Daily Bread - An Ecumenical Food Pantry Inc
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Daily Bread - An Ecumenical Food Pantry Inc

Board of directors
as of 02/22/2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Peter Kent

Kay Gelfman

N/A

Sandra Ferreira-Molina

LEAD

Marybeth Alpuche

N/A

Rodrigo Martins

Head Start

Juan Medrano

Peter Kent

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? No
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 1/30/2022

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.

Leadership

No data

Race & ethnicity

No data

Gender identity

No data

 

No data

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 01/30/2022

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
  • We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.