The Academy will be collaborating with the local charity Daily Bread to present Meals and Music: a program bringing music alongside food to the city’s homeless.
Founded in 1982 by the First Presbyterian Church of Lynchburg, Daily Bread offers free hot meals in anyone in need using food donated by local grocery stores, restaurants, and universities and with the help of 10-15 volunteers. In 2014, Daily Bread served 57,642 meals to the hungry and homeless.
While Daily Bread guests eat, they’ll enjoy live music.
“We really believe that the arts improve the quality of life. The Daily Bread’s mission is to provide food for those who are struggling to make ends meet. We feel it’s our duty as an organization to bring joy to their day as well as the sustenance,” said Geoffrey Kershner. “I also firmly believe that the arts should be available to all, no matter if they can afford it recreationally.”
Q&A with the Daily Bread’s Executive Director Tracey Dixon
How are you involved?
I am the Executive Director of Lynchburg Daily Bread. I started as a volunteer in the ‘90s and have served as Executive Director for the last 4 years.
How would you describe the program in your own words?
We serve a free, hot lunch every day of the year to anyone in need. We are open weekends and holidays because hunger doesn’t take a day off either! We are so thankful for 10-15 volunteers each day, who serve food donated by local grocery stores, colleges and restaurants. In 2014, we served 57,642 meals to the homeless and hungry of the Lynchburg area.
Are there any plans for the program in the near future?
We are so happy to be partnering with the Academy to bring music and art to our guests. The new outreach program will bring wonderful new opportunities to help soothe the spirit and allow our guests to be creative. While still in development, we are very thankful to be working with Evan Smith and Geoffrey Kershner to see what the future holds.
A note from the Academy’s Director of Community Outreach, Evan Smith
The Daily Bread does an amazing job of serving the Lynchburg community by offering food to those who need it every day of the year, and this program will allow Daily Bread patrons to hear soothing sounds as they eat inside or as the wait outside to come in. Overall, we just want everyone at the Daily Bread to have the best and most uplifting experience possible.
This program will allow the Academy Center to better engage the community. It is my hope to reach out to high school and college students so that they will have opportunities to practice their skills in public and to connect those students to the mission of the Daily Bread. It is the Academy Center’s goal to serve the community through arts and culture, and we hope that this program will do just that.
Thank you to Baird Financial, Walmart Foundation, and the Genworth Foundation for helping to make community outreach possible. Learn more about the Academy’s Community Outreach Programs: academycenter.org/community-outreach
