Remember Us? We Still Care, Do You?

Remember back when we got to know each other, you and us? It was that bakery that brought us together, but we took it from there, didn’t we? We shared a piece of each other’s lives. We talked about the weather, our kids, things going on in the neighborhood. We became friends over the years, and I don’t honestly think the bread had much of anything to do with our fondness for you. The bread was an excuse. The connection was from shared ideas and mutual respect.

That connection has yielded over $53k raised for the DPS Homeless Education Network over the past 14 years. That’s a lot of dough (can I still make bread jokes?). The need is still there, and it’s still important to Sheri and me. I imagine creating a future out of nothing for the kids in our community is still important to you, too. And I really hope Sheri and I are still important to you. You are still important to us.

We used to call it Whole Grains for Growing Brains, and now our annual fundraiser for the Denver Public Schools Homeless Education Network is called Stigmattack. They are the severely underfunded department in DPS that helps the hundreds of students they serve break the cycle of homelessness, get an education and thrive. Our contribution was a donation with no promises for future donations. But that’s not how it works. You know that. They had come to count on our $3,000 or $4,000 donation every fall, and now that the bakery is gone, they are faced with making up a huge funding deficit.

But DPS HEN doesn’t have to deal with a funding collapse if we don’t let them. This cause is still of the utmost importance to Sheri and me, and we are betting helping kiddos in our Denver community is still important to you, too. Forget about the bread. You didn’t donate because we were bakers. You donated because you trusted us to make sure your money went directly to good use in our community. That hasn’t changed. Our mission to serve is still as strong as it ever was. Our need for your help is greater than ever.

Our Stigmattack fundraiser runs through the end of October. We are more than half way through the month, and we are not close to reaching half of our goal. Why not donate now? No need to wait. Your donation can be made quickly through our secure website. Let’s not let bread define our relationship. Let’s not let the lack of bread be the reason these kids don’t get the chance they deserve.

Thanks in advance for your support of Stigmattack.

Matt and Sheri Salis

Published by Matt Salis

Matt Salis is a high-functioning alcoholic in recovery who is working to end the stigma associated with addiction and related conditions such as homelessness and mental illness.