Panera Bread’s Operation Dough-nation® Reaps Bountiful Fall Harvest for Long Island’s Hungry
 
(Long Island, N.Y.) – Once again, local Panera Bread bakery-cafes proudly share the warmth and the spirit of giving. Long Island Panera locations donated $35,000 to their Operation Dough-Nation® partner Island Harvest, Long Island’s largest hunger relief organization, at a recent ‘Taste of the Harvest’ fundraiser. The monies will facilitate general food rescue work and help provide fuel and fleet maintenance funding. A portion of the funds will also offset some of the costs involved in: organizing and deploying volunteers as well as running workshops to guide food recipients toward smarter food choices.
 
Panera Bread’s Operation Dough-Nationâ program ensures that every purchase made at one if its bakery-cafes feeds back into the community. Cash donations are made in special containers near the registers by guests and Panera supplies goods and services year round as well as provides an end-of-day contribution of all unsold bread to Island Harvest for local hunger relief.
 
“We are proud to share ‘Panera warmth’ with members of our local community throughout the year,” said Greg George, Vice President of Operations for Long Island Panera Bread.  “Bread is an important part of our culture – it brings people together – and Panera is dedicated to giving back to the people who have welcomed us into their neighborhoods.”
 
Panera Bread has 19 area bakery-cafes:  Bay Shore, Bohemia, Bridgehampton, Carle Place, East Meadow, East Northport, Farmingdale, Hauppauge, Hampton Bays, Hicksville, Huntington, Massapequa, Mineola, New Hyde Park, North Babylon, Port Jefferson, Riverhead, Rockville Centre and West Babylon.
 
Photo: Dale Paden, Marketing Manager for the Long Island Panera Bread bakery-cafes, presents a “fall harvest” check for $35,000 to Randi Shubin-Dresner, president and CEO of Island Harvest, at the organization’s recent ‘Taste of the Harvest’ fundraiser. The donation reflects the generosity of Panera Bread guests who have contributed to Operation Dough-nation® and is complemented by Panera’s own contributions in the form of food and services donated throughout the year to Island Harvest. 
 
About Panera Bread
Panera Bread Company owns and franchises 1,362 bakery-cafes as of September 29, 2009, under the Panera Bread®, Saint Louis Bread Co.® and Paradise Bakery & Café ®names in 40 states and in Canada. Among these locations, 575 are Company owned and 787 are Franchise operated. With its identity rooted in handcrafted, fresh-baked, artisan bread, Panera Bread is committed to providing great tasting, quality food that people can trust. Highlighted by antibiotic free chicken, whole grain bread, select organic and all-natural ingredients and a menu with 0 grams artificial trans fat per serving, Panera’s bakery-cafe selection offers flavorful, wholesome offerings. The menu includes a wide variety of year-round favorites, complemented by new items introduced seasonally with the goal of creating new standards in everyday food choices. In neighborhoods across the United States and in Canada, guests are enjoying Panera’s warm and welcoming environment featuring comfortable gathering areas, relaxing decor, and free internet access provided through a managed WiFi network. At the close of each day, Panera Bread bakery-cafes donate bread and baked goods to community organizations in need, like Island Harvest here on Long Island.  Additional information is available on the Company’s website, http://www.panerabread.com.  On Long Island, Panera Bread has locations in: Bay Shore, Bohemia, Bridgehampton, Carle Place, East Meadow, East Northport, Farmingdale, Hauppauge, Hampton Bays, Hicksville, Huntington, Massapequa, Mineola, New Hyde Park, North Babylon, Port Jefferson, Riverhead, Rockville Centre and West Babylon.
 
About Island Harvest
Fighting hunger and touching lives, Island Harvest serves as the bridge between those who have surplus food and those who need it, supplying hundreds of community-based nonprofit organizations on Long Island with critical food support to help stem the advancing tide of hunger in our communities.  Island Harvest has delivered more than 60 million pounds of food, supplementing nearly 47 million meals, since its inception in 1992.  In support of its mission to end hunger and reduce food waste on Long Island, the organization is actively involved in educational and hunger awareness programs to inform the public about the insidious but often unrecognized problem of hunger here, in one of the wealthiest regions of the country, and how individuals, businesses, schools and commercial food establishments can make a difference.  Island Harvest is a member of Feeding America (formerly America’s Second Harvest).  For more information about Island Harvest, visit www.islandharvest.org or call 516-294-8528.