Vail’s Kirkwood Mountain Resort sponsored Bread & Broth’s Monday Meal on May 12. Sponsoring an Adopt A Day of Nourishment (AAD) every other month thanks to Vail’s EpicPromise Grant, Kirkwood Mountain always sends an amazing and spirited group of team members to come and help the Bread & Broth (B&B) volunteers put on a fantastic full-course meal that feeds anywhere between 100 and 130 diners on Monday evenings at St. Theresa Grace Hall. On May 12 team members Natasha Buffo, Dan Deemer, Alex Gordon, David McCullers, Kristina Nieskens, and Daniel Zafra came to help.

The dinner guests are so appreciative of the tasty and filling hot meals.  In addition, bags of food are handed out to the attending diners that are filled with fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy products, meats, breads and pastries, and a variety of surplus foods donated by local grocery stores and businesses.  These extra food items are a bonus for the dinner guests in that they supplement dinners later in the week and are often items that they are unable to afford to purchase for themselves.

For those who volunteer to help provide a hot meal and healthy food there are many reasons for their volunteerism.  For some it is because they dealt with hunger earlier in their lives, for others it is because they have been blessed and want to help those who are struggling, for others, it is because they want to add meaning to their lives.   

For each individual, volunteering has its own special purpose or meaning. 

“One of my favorite things about volunteering at Bread & Broth is building deeper and more meaningful connections with my fellow volunteers,” shared Natasha.  “Some I know well and other I’ve only met in passing but after today, I feel closer to each of them and have a shared experience of supporting the rest of our wider community.”

No matter the reason for volunteering, the end result is the same.  Both those giving and those receiving experience a sense of gratitude.  For those that serve others the experience is uplifting and fulfilling and for those that are vulnerable the experience is also uplifting and fulfilling knowing that others care for them.

Thank you to Vail’s EpicPromise Grant for enabling Kirkwood team members to have the opportunity to support and care for the community’s at-risk population by hosting Bread & Broth Monday Meals.

-Bread & Broth