An assignment for the Stanford University "Crash Course in Creativity" as offered in the fall of 2012. The assignment asked students to consider the value of a loaf of bread in a creative way.

1. Ken Ronkowitz
for the “Crash Course in Creativity”
Stanford University
http://venture-lab.org/creativity/

2. 
What is the
value
of a loaf of bread?

3. The Value of a Loaf of Bread
Can Be Measured

 Monetarily  Nutritional value
 Sale price of the loaf  Calories
 Cost of the ingredients  Vitamins, fiber etc.
 Labor to produce
 Energy to bake
But we might
also consider…

4. 
first, a poem…

5. “Bread” by Linda Pastan

“It seems to be the five stages
of yeast, not grief,
you like to write about,”
my son says,
meaning that bread
is always rising
and falling, being broken
and eaten, in my poems.

6. And though he is only half serious,
I want to say to him
“bread rising in the bowl
is like breath rising in the body;”
or “if you knead the dough 
with perfect tenderness,
it is like gently kneading flesh
when you make love.”
Baguette . . . pita . . . pane . . .
Challah . . . naan: bread is
the universal language, translatable
on the famished tongue.

7. Now it is time to open

the package of yeast
and moisten it with water,
watching for its fizz,
its blind energy–proofing
it’s called, the animate proof
of life. Everything
is ready: salt, flour, oil.
Breadcrumbs are what lead
the children home.

8. Poetry Like Bread is a poetry collection by nearly
forty poets about their engagement with everyday
political and economic realities.

The collection’s title and motto is taken from
Roque Dalton’s poem:
"poetry, like bread, is for everyone“
Bread is one of the oldest prepared foods. Evidence from
30,000 years ago in Europe revealed starch residue on rocks
used for pounding plants. It is possible that during this time,
starch extract from the roots of plants, such as cattails and
ferns, was spread on a flat rock, placed over a fire and
cooked into a primitive form of flatbread.

9. Bread is a universal food and symbol
Bread has a significance beyond mere nutrition in many cultures in the West and
Near and Middle East because of its history and contemporary importance. The
Lord's Prayer, for example, contains the line "Give us this day our daily bread";
here, "bread" is commonly understood to mean necessities in general.

10. Second Harvest

My inspiration for this presentation came from the crossing of
two of my interests. First, is poetry, and second, community
giving, especially in the area of the “second harvest” of foods
that might be considered waste if they could not be used
immediately.
There are any number of organizations that work towards the
goal of feeding those in need. One that I have some experience
with is the programs of the Panera Bread company.

11. Panera Cares
community cafes
http://paneracares.org

Panera Cares community cafes are about working together, shoulder to
shoulder with our customers, to confront a serious problem plaguing
communities across this country. Hunger.
Simply put, in these non-profit locations, we will feed anyone.
We will offer a dignified dining experience in an uplifting environment –
without judgment – whether or not a person can pay.
Panera Cares community cafes – operated by the Panera Bread
Foundation, a separate Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity – are meant to
raise the level of awareness about food insecurity in this country, while
also being a catalyst for change in our communities.
Video of Panera’s founder talking about the program youtu.be/1ju8-agpCAQ

12. 
There is an ever-worsening epidemic of food insecurity (the
USDA’s curious euphemism for hunger) in the U.S. Consider
this: according to the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA), over 17 million U.S. households are considered “food
insecure.”
Simply put, for a significant number of Americans, putting food
on the table is a struggle. 16 million kids – 1 in 5 – do not have
enough to eat each day and lack the means to get enough
nutritious food on a regular basis.
More information http://feedingamerica.org

13. 
Since its founding, Panera The Community Breadbox
program ensures that donations
Bread and its franchisees made at Panera Bread feed back
have been active in our in to the community. A portion
of cash donations made by
communities. customers in bakery-cafes may
be matched by Panera and its
franchisees and distributed to
Operation Dough-Nation local non-profit organizations.
was founded in 1992 to Contributions generated
through the program have
formalize our provided basic necessities for
commitment to those in need, and have created
special places and
community involvement. opportunities.

14. http://www.panerabread.com/about/community/
“At Panera Bread®, we believe in
We show our appreciation for 
giving back to local communities.
At the end of each day, Panera
customers not only within our Bread donates all unsold bread
bakery-cafes but also throughout and baked goods to local area
the communities we serve by hunger relief agencies and charities
as part of its local Day-End
sponsoring special events open to Dough-Nation program.
the neighborhood, participating Collectively, Panera bakery-cafes
in charitable events and offering donated a retail value of
approximately $100 million worth
various Operation Dough- of unsold bread and baked goods
Nation® programs.” in 2010 to help neighbors in need.
Many of these organizations are
served by Feeding America,
formerly America's Second
Harvest, the nation's largest
domestic hunger-relief
organization.

15. So, the Value of a Loaf of Bread
Can Also Be Measured

 by the impact on the person(s) receiving it
 Monetary savings
 Nutritional values
 Gratefulness
 Sense of being cared for and valued
 Ability to continue on
 And a host of other values not easily measured…