How Love & Cornbread Started

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In August 2020, the world was in chaos and I felt sad and disconnected. I wanted to give my city a hug. Since feeding people has always been my way of showing love, I cooked up a big batch of homemade mac & cheese and gave it away on a busy corner in Penn North, one of Baltimore’s least resourced neighborhoods. All 35 servings disappeared quickly, but because the food was homemade, it sparked genuine conversations with the folks I was serving.

 

Why cornbread?

My mom was from Memphis and made a mean cornbread, so I started sharing hot, buttered cornbread alongside the chili, chicken noodle soup and other meals I served. I'm proud to say folks loved her recipe too. 

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 What about today?

Love & Cornbread has expanded to serve kids, seniors and others in need through dedicated partnerships. We still show up every single Saturday to serve the community of Penn North, but now our impact is even greater. We especially love to feed kids.

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How are you funded?

Over the years, we have worked to build our own sources of revenue so that we are not wholly dependent on outside sources. We are grateful for the foundations and donors who have and continue to support our work. And we can now count on our own entrepreneurial efforts for critical funding to drive our mission. We sell bake-at-home cornbread mix - developed by a local pastry chef just for us - online and in local stores as a way to raise funds. Every bag you buy helps feed kids and folks in need in Baltimore City - and gives you a taste of the cozy cornbread comfort at home with your own family. Check out our online store to find out more at shop.love.cornbread.org.

As we grew ​

- Sue May, Co-Founder

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