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About the Bakery
CAPUCHIN SOUP KITCHEN'S "ON THE RISE BAKERY" GIVES MEN A NEW LIFE
Detroit, MI (March 23, 2009) - The Capuchin Soup Kitchen's ROPE ministry (Reaching Our Potential Everyday) has opened its first business outreach, "On the Rise Bakery." The bakery is located 6110 McClellan, located near the intersection of Gratiot and I 94.
The bakery is staffed by seven men who have been incarcerated or who have
completed an addiction program. The goal of "On the Rise Bakery" is to have the participants learn a marketable skill while continuing to become men of greater integrity.
Volunteers are the heart of "On the Rise Bakery." Many volunteers (mostly from the suburbs) join the individuals and friars, baking, packaging, and readying the goods for the Sunday parish sales. The men explain that the volunteers are the most valuable asset of "On the Rise Bakery."
Ed Collins, Crew Leader and former prisoner, explains "We didn't have a lot of caring in our lives. We needed to process and understand healthy relationships. There is a lot of warmth and caring with the volunteers. We have a real connection with these people. It rubs off being with the volunteers. We are seeing strong family values for the first time in
our lives."
Baker Lammie Rhodes, a recovering drug addict, adds, "Working with the volunteers has been a big part of my development. It's easy for me to withdraw. They won't let me. If they see me being quiet, they won't let me 'just be.' They've taken us all into their hearts. They know our backgrounds and they don't care."
Capuchin friar Ray Stadmeyer explains that the bakery is not about the process of baking but learning healthy relationships. "These guys have had tough lives. They have faced hard, hard struggles that are difficult for the average person to imagine. For most of these guys, this baking program is their first real opportunity to succeed."