PECish supports ROC

Milford bakery makes donation to youth outreach group

For the past six months or so, some of the bread baked by MaTTi Matyasfalvi has been made with spent grains supplied by 555 Brewing Company. These grains are byproducts of the brewing process and are ideal for making bread. “The benefit of having spent grains are it’s organic, it’s milled, it’s sprouted—perfect for bread. It adds all that nutrient-dense whole grain heartiness that are commonly just removed from ‘white bread’,” says MaTTi, who runs PECish Bakery in Milford with his husband, Stephen. From the beginning, the couple wanted to ensure that their bakery supported the community, and they looked for an organization that could benefit from a donation. They chose to set aside $1 from every loaf of spent-grain bread sold—since they didn’t have to pay for the grain donated by 555— and after discussions with Natalie and Drew Wollenberg of 555 Brewing, they chose the ROC (Recreation Outreach Centre) to be the first community group they would make a donation to.

(L-R): MaTTi and Stephen Matyasfalvi of PECish, and Drew Wollenberg of 555 Brewing Company present a cheque to Alison Kelly and Darlene Thompson from the ROC.

ROC’s Administrator and Communications Officer Alison Kelly was pleased to receive the donation from PECish. “We rely heavily on community donations. We do get some grants, but every year we start at zero,” she says. “The money means we can provide food for the youth, hire a facilitator to come in for workshops or training. It means we can provide transportation home for youth after a counselling session. Every dollar we get goes directly back to youth in our community to support their goals.” The centre, on Picton Main Street, is now open for inperson use. Youth in Grades Seven and Eight are welcomed on Tuesdays, and the centre is available on Thursdays for high school students. In addition there is a bi-weekly program for youth to learn leadership skills so that they can provide peer support to build healthy relationships. There is also a monthly Youth Advisory Committee that explores social justice issues. The ROC also receives support from Food to Share through about 50 frozen meals weekly that are distributed to the youth. One of the ROC’s major initiatives is the Youth Inclusion Program, which provides one-on-one support to at-risk youth. So far this year, the program has helped 10 youth graduate from high school and has helped a number of others obtain employment. In the three years the program has been operating there have been 74 referrals. The ongoing pandemic has seen an increase in mental health problems in youth, as well as an increase in situations involving law enforcement. There has also been an increase in domestic abuse, and Kelly says that donations from organizations such as PECish helps to show the youth that there are adults who care. “We are the little engine that could, and just knowing that organizations are seeing the value in what we do really makes the kids feel loved. It gives them a sense of belonging,” says Kelly.

PECish bakery is only open on Friday and Saturday, and they only sell bread on Saturday. MaTTi starts the baking preparation on Tuesday, and begins baking on Friday at 4 p.m. after the store closes. His ovens are currently housed in the double garage at his and Stephen’s home. He finishes baking at around 5 a.m. Saturday morning, at which time he goes to sleep for a few hours while Stephen delivers the fresh baked bread to the bakery. He will typically make about 130 loaves, of which 20 or 30 will be made with spent grains. PECish’s donation to the ROC was $670 from the sale of 670 loaves of spent-grain bread. They are seeking further partnerships with the ROC. “As we grow, we can grow together,” says MaTTi. Stephen’s Saturday morning deliveries of bread to the bakery will come to an end in the spring, as renovations are underway at the Milford bakery to house the breadmaking ovens. For more information about PECish, please visit pecishbaking.co. For information about the ROC or to make a donation, please visit theroc.ca