In 2016, the Our Daily Bread hot meal program commemorates 35 years of uninterrupted service. During those years, the program has touched thousands of lives. Clients, employees, donors and countless volunteers have passed through our doors. We invite you to share your memories here.

Submitted by Tom Bonderenkoat: May 24, 2016

The morning breakfast program would often attract a special guest, who remained incognito to the other breakfast guests and volunteers. In his black cap, he would walk into the dining room, wait his turn to be seated by a volunteer, hand over his “meal ticket” and be served his breakfast. He never ate. He would drink his coffee, but offer his breakfast to other guests at his table, chatting with them about their plans for that day, their struggles, their hopes and dreams for tomorrow. Archbishop Borders was a true shepherd to all his flock, a model priest, and a man with a genuine concern for the church of Baltimore. He would leave the dining room with a wink and putting a $20 bill in my hand with the simple gospel mandate: “pass it along today”.

Submitted by at: May 17, 2016

I think ODB taught not only Catholic Charities and our staff and volunteers a lot about homelessness and poverty, but enlightened us about the Gospel in ways we would not have imagined or expected. I recall a gentleman who came two or three days a week to the lunch room for a meal. Dressed in a suit and carrying his attache case, volunteers were curious about why he was there! After a brief interaction, he shared that he was a businessman who lost his job. So his family would not worry about their well-being, he left out “for work” each morning. He ate at ODB so not to have to spend money on his lunch, and be able to provide for his family. Honesty, humility, responsibility… such life lessons in the unexpected.