ABOUT US

Why we do what we do.

We can all agree that food should not end up in the landfill. It is meant to nourish people in body, mind, and spirit. It brings us together in so many ways. 

Over 35% of usable food ends up in American landfills, which is 2% of our country’s GDP. Over 15,000,000 pounds are thrown away each year in Sioux Falls alone. We can do better.

Bread Break “moves food” by transporting it from providing to receiving partners. This is win-win-win as we reduce the amount of food ending up in landfills, provide food to agencies that distribute food to people in need, and benefit businesses with robust tax incentives. 

We’re excited about what we do and invite you to join us.

Where we came from.

In 2011, through the visionary leadership of Mike and Jean Bauman, Bread Break picked up the first food donation from KFC and delivered it to St. Francis House. For ten years, Bread Break remained a volunteer-led church program. Mike and others diligently raised awareness, raised funds, and created a legacy of food recovery in Sioux Falls.

In 2021, this group of devoted volunteers applied for and received 501(c)3 federal nonprofit status. They formed the first Bread Break board, and hired a part time program coordinator. This step forward laid the foundation for food recovery expansion.

Where we are now.

Bread Break’s highly dedicated  volunteer drivers use our 3 vans or their own vehicles to pick up daily overages of prepared and fresh food donated by our 40+ providing partners. They deliver this perfectly good food to our 30+ receiving partners such as local food banks that serve people in need. We work in cooperation with other Food Recovery organizations such as Feeding South Dakota.

As the need for food recovery continues to grow, Bread Break’s leadership developed a Strategic Plan in 2024 to set the stage for managed growth. In addition to a part-time program coordination, they added the role of a full-time executive director. This provides more structure through operational streamlining, community advocacy, and partnership building.

Our strategic plan for sustainable growth.

Bread Break has made a commitment to double our efforts by recovering 600,000 pounds of usable food by the end of 2026. We have an ultimate goal of rescuing over $1 million pounds yearly. The board of directors are guiding this strategic process with the help of volunteers and staff. Every day, we connect with more potential partners through outreach and networking. Two new programs we are developing are Fresh Produce Recovery and Event Meal Recovery. 

We’re streamlining our processes, and working with community-wide cohorts to define overall goals for the community. We are helping to lead Food Waste Reduction and Food Recovery strategies in the Sioux Falls area, and we have plans to take our model to other parts of South Dakota in the years to come.