海角大神

Sarah Stevens woke up in late March nervous, but ready. The coronavirus was spreading, and her community in Austin, Texas, was preparing to shelter in place. Already her two children were home from school and she and her partner were trying to juggle child care with their work as personal chefs. But Sarah had an idea she couldn鈥檛 kick: Bread. Beautiful, hand-crafted, aromatic sourdough bread that didn鈥檛 just stare people in the face on Instagram, but awaited them on their front porch and comforted their families.聽

鈥淚鈥檓 a person who can spend years toying with an idea and let the moment pass by,鈥� she says. This was the first time in her life she knew she had to take action, she says, sitting two rooms over from 12 mahogany loaves of sourdough, cooling by a window and awaiting delivery.

Since late March, Ms. Stevens and her partner, Libbey Goldberg, have been baking and distributing sourdough rounds across Austin, raising money for charities fighting the effects of the pandemic, like hunger and job loss. It was an ambitious plan to throw on top of already long days with a 3- and 9-year-old in the house, but Ms. Stevens finds joy and solace in baking and wanted to share that with others 鈥� along with making it easier for people to donate.

Editor鈥檚 note: As a public service,聽all our coronavirus coverage聽is free. No paywall.

They call it Bread for the People, and the model is simple. (Ms. Stevens calls it 鈥渇lying by the seat of our pants.鈥�) She bakes 12 loaves of bread six days a week 鈥� starting before breakfast and finishing long after the kids are in bed. There鈥檚 barely room in their refrigerator for their own staples, as the bread chills in baskets overnight. For a suggested $10 each, the family and volunteers deliver loaves to all corners of the city 鈥� and donate all the proceeds to charity.

鈥淲e look at this as a people鈥檚 project,鈥� says Ms. Stevens. 鈥淧eople are showing up for the community, buying loaves for each other, sharing with friends. It鈥檚 about kindness and generosity and helping that spread.鈥�

As of early June, Bread for the People has baked 430 rounds and raised $6,644 for local charities, like El Buen Samaritano, and national organizations, like the National Domestic Workers Alliance. As national protests sparked by George Floyd鈥檚 death swept the U.S., they pivoted to include support for organizations like the Austin Justice Coalition, recognizing that the pandemic and police violence affect many of the same communities hardest.

While Ms. Stevens does the bulk of the baking, Ms. Goldberg helps vet and choose organizations, drawing on her experience as an activist. 鈥淲e try to make sure the funds are going toward the demographics most affected by COVID-19,鈥� she says, like people of color, unauthorized immigrants, or impoverished communities.

They emphasize that they鈥檙e one of many small projects trying to give back right now. At a time when governments across the world are straining to respond, individuals are stepping up to support their communities.

Julian Choi, a partner with seafood wholesaler Minamoto Foods, started an initiative to feed unemployed service industry workers when the coronavirus shuttered restaurants. By early May, he was getting upward of 700 requests for meals each week. Most of his initial donations had already petered out. Enter Bread for the People. Their donation of $185 allowed Mr. Choi鈥檚 Family Meal project to provide an additional 80 meals.

鈥淚t was a blessing for them to come in when they did. It was our most desperate moment,鈥� he says.

Loaf love

Ms. Stevens studied journalism in college, but graduated into a weak economy. Unable to find a job, she started working in a bakery, and met Ms. Goldberg while working in a restaurant.

鈥淔rom the beginning I liked it, and slowly I began to love it,鈥� she says of baking. She went on to work as a copy editor, where she found herself in a cubicle, often dreaming about bread.

鈥淭o be able to come back to baking in this moment feels really natural, despite being in the midst of a really terrible time,鈥� she says. Bread for the People allows Ms. Stevens to nurture and feed people, which she considers a pillar of humanity. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just spectacular to ring someone鈥檚 doorbell and say, 鈥榊our friend or your daughter ordered you a loaf and here it is,鈥欌�� she says, tearing up.

Lori Levy, a neighbor turned delivery volunteer, wasn鈥檛 surprised by Ms. Stevens and Ms. Goldberg鈥檚 latest project. She鈥檚 stopped by their bake sales over the years, benefiting causes like local food pantries. 鈥淭his is just who they are,鈥� she says.

Ms. Stevens turns on the oven at 7 a.m., and doesn鈥檛 put the next day鈥檚 batch in the fridge till 9 p.m., but this isn鈥檛 a chore.

鈥淭here are so many bright spots,鈥� she says. Her daughter helps with delivery. Her son 鈥渉elps鈥� by taste-testing. She bakes with a cast-iron pot, and has to take the top off halfway through to let the bread rise. 鈥淚 do that 8-12 times every morning, and I get a new beautiful moment every time, just seeing the bread transform.鈥�

The delivery is a treat as well, at a time when no one is really expecting to have their doorbell ring, or see a stranger standing on the sidewalk, ready to explain what鈥檚 in the mystery bag on the front porch.

鈥淚 never imagined that people could be so excited about this very basic thing 鈥� bread,鈥� says Ms. Stevens. There鈥檚 鈥渢hat moment of joy and connection in a world that seems to see such a deep lack of joy right now.鈥�

Anne Hebert, who received a surprise loaf of bread from a friend and went on to place orders for others, says the model helps facilitate giving when the world feels overwhelming. 鈥淚t鈥檚 almost easier to just say yes to a loaf of bread and share another one than to try and navigate the greater picture of today and figure out 鈥榃hat can I do to help,鈥欌�� she says.

Hands-on giving

Flour and yeast have been tough to find, as a baking trend took off amid stay-at-home orders. Those who have been able to remain at home during the pandemic seem to be focusing on trying to enjoy simple pleasures and creating connections, Ms. Goldberg says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing simpler and more pleasurable than bread and butter.鈥�

Fellow bakers have arranged for wholesale pricing on some of their materials, and the locally run Barton Springs Mill donated 125 pounds of flour to Bread for the People. James Brown, the mill鈥檚 owner, says he jumped at the chance to donate, with so many food-industry workers furloughed. 鈥淭hey were very nimble and quick to respond to a real demonstrated need,鈥� he says.

And as long as that need lasts, the pair says they鈥檒l continue baking. Long term, they鈥檝e dreamed of opening up a small store, where one of the things they鈥檇 like to sell is Ms. Stevens鈥� bread.

On a recent afternoon, while talking about the magical sound of bread cooling 鈥� 12 loaves can create the sound of a small rainstorm, Ms. Stevens explains 鈥� a little boy with a teddy bear on his head interrupts to say hello. His older sister, decked out in an apron, runs over to join the party.

This is an added benefit, Ms. Stevens and Ms. Goldberg say: They 鈥� and other parents 颅鈥� can model generosity for their children.

鈥淲e try so hard to teach our kids to be kind and good in the world. And we can talk and talk about it,鈥� says Ms. Goldberg. 鈥淏ut the act of them seeing it happen is extremely valuable.鈥�

Editor鈥檚 note: As a public service,聽all our coronavirus coverage聽is free. No paywall.

[An earlier version of this article misspelled Anne Hebert鈥檚 last name.]