Framingham Panera Bread Donates $5,000 to MetroWest Harvest

presented $5,000 to its local charity partner, MetroWest Harvest. The money, raised through Panera’s Operation Dough-Nation® program, will help MetroWest Harvest in its mission to feed the hungry in Framingham and surrounding communities.

“MetroWest Harvest is incredibly appreciative of this generous donation and continued support from Panera Bread's Operation Dough Nation® program,” said Jeen Kniveton, Director of MetroWest Harvest in a press release. “Our longtime partnership with this cafe enables us to better serve families in need and put groceries in the hands of our neighbors.”

The Framingham bakery-cafe originally collected $2,500 from customers through the in-store Operation Dough-Nation® canisters, which are displayed near the registers in each Panera Bread bakery-cafe. Panera then matched its customer donations dollar for dollar, bringing the total donation to $5,000.

“Panera Bread is thankful to be given the opportunity to help relieve hunger in Framingham through our partnership with the ," said Mitchell Roberts, franchise co-owner of Panera Bread in Framingham in a press release. “We're proud to continue helping this valuable organization care for its community.”

MetroWest Harvest is a food rescue program established in 1989 by community leaders to help solve the area’s hunger problems. MetroWest Harvest brings quality-donated food and prepared meals to shelters and food pantries where they are distributed to those in need. Metrowest Harvest does not solicit money. Only donations of food and other goods, time, or materials are requested.