Barnstable County Inmates Bake Bread for Cape Cod Food Pantries

A county program run by the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office is helping feed community members in need.

Inmates at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility bake bread that was donated to the Lower Cape Outreach Council's Orleans food pantry and other Cape Cod food pantries on Dec. 17. The project is part of a broader effort to combat regional food insecurity.

Inmates enrolled in the Barnstable County Correctional Facility's vocational baking program produce the bread, with ingredients donated by Clancy's Restaurant in Dennis.

Council CEO Katie Wibby told The Cape Cod Chronicle that bread is one of the hardest-to-source food staples for the organization to source in volume.

“The scent of fresh bread is often associated with comfort and home, which we can all appreciate,” she said to The Cape Cod Chronicle. “As a luxury item on Cape Cod with few actual bakeries in our service region, fresh bread enhances meals, making them more satisfying, filling, and enjoyable.”

In a news release, the sheriff's office said that the Community Cooking program's bread production has ramped up since November to help address the growing issue of food insecurity across the Cape.  

Distribution of the bread is coordinated with the Barnstable County Cooperative Extension and Waquoit Congregational Church in Falmouth to reach multiple pantries.