Bake Fresh Friday is an annual cooperative training program, the brainchild of Rotarian Sharon Fouts, which brings together Rotarians, culinary school students from Mott Community College and residents of the Carriage Town Ministries homeless shelter. With support through a Rotary District Grant, residents are taught the art of baking.GVR Rotary coordinates this event when Mott College baking students go to Carriage Town and work with the men, women and children who live in the center to teach them cooking and baking skills. And, in the process, people come together to better understand each other and to prove we all care about each other.
The Rotary club provides all the raw materials and coordinates the project. Mott Community College brings it's group of students and professors along with equipment and Carriage Town provides the facility and the kitchen. Residents and their children are invited to learn, have a fun day and stockpile baked goods for the facility.
One spinoff consequence of this project is that Carriage Town has acquired a building across the street from the shelter and constructing a commercial bakery which will employ shelter residents and sell baked goods to restaurants and retailers throughout the county.
Besides being of service, our club garnered enhanced visibility in the community. The event was covered by two television networks and by the Flint Journal. In addition, a Mott film crew recorded the event to be used to promote its culinary college, the film is available on YouTube.
Pictures of the event are posted here.