MP, member for
Heffron, (standing 4th from left) presenting a cheque on behalf of the
NSW Government to Marcel De Maria (standing 3rd from left) to purchase a new bread slicing machine Gift of Bread began in 2007 when one person collected and distributed the leftover bread each Friday from a local
Bakers Delight store. As more volunteers and bakeries joined the program, it grew significantly. By 2018, Gift of Bread was processing and delivering 290,000 bags of bread per year. In 2016, in recognition of the importance of the project,
Canterbury League Club donated a
Toyota HiAce van to Gift of Bread. This meant there was less reliance on volunteer's vehicles, and bread could be collected and distributed more quickly and efficiently. Community leader Dr
George Peponis noted that "bread may seem like a simple item but it is a staple in many diets; every culture has some form of bread in their cuisine so not only is it nourishing, it is also unifying in the fact that everyone has a basic right to a standard of living adequate for their health and well-being". In May 2017,
The Daily Telegraph featured Gift of Bread in its coverage of
National Volunteer Week. In August 2017, the
Member for Summer Hill,
Jo Haylen paid tribute to Gift of Bread in the
New South Wales Legislative Assembly. In May 2018, Gift of Bread obtained a second bread collection and delivery van,
Spirit of Faith, following donations from the
NSW Government,
Inner West Council and Amato's Liquor Mart. In 2020, Gift of Bread founder Marcel De Maria was awarded the title of Westfield Local Hero, which included a grant of $10 000 to Gift of Bread. In October 2022, a third van (a
Toyota HiAce SLWB named
Spirit of Charity) was added to the fleet. In August 2023, the ageing Toyota H200 vans were replaced by a further two Toyota H300 SLWB vans. == Business process ==