Panera Holding Drive for Farmington Food Pantry

The Panera Bread in the West Farms Shopping Center on 1600 Southeast Road is holding a food drive for the Farmington Food Pantry with the help of the bakery-cafe’s new “Day-End” Dough-Nation partner, Charities of Hope today between 1 to 3 p.m. 

The first 200 customers who bring a non-perishable food pantry item to the Farmington cafe will receive one pick from Mystery Gift Cards with amounts up to and including $200. Recommended food items include canned fruit, canned vegetables, canned meats, rice, beans, cereal, oatmeal, tuna, mayonnaise, soup, crackers, coffee and juice.

The Farmington Food Pantry is located on 75 Main Street at the First Church of Christ, Congregational.  For more than 30 years, residents of Farmington have supported the pantry to assist neighbors in need with food and personal items.  Charities of Hope, located at 770 Wethersfield Ave. in Hartford, picks up Panera Farmington’s leftover bread, bagels and pastries each day and provides them to those in need in the local community as part of Panera’s “Day-End” program.  Charities of Hope will deliver the food drive’s donated items to the Farmington Food Pantry. 

“It’s such a pleasure to work with an organization like Panera Bread that spends so much of its time and effort on giving back to the communities they serve,” said Sonia Barkman, Chief Financial Officer for Charities of Hope.  “We encourage Panera customers to extend their spirit of giving during the holidays so we can help stock the shelves at the Farmington Food Pantry.”

For more information, contact Panera Bread Farmington, West Farms Shopping Center, 1600 Southeast Road, Farmington, Connecticut 06032; call (860) 676-0758; or visit www.panerabreadhbg.com.