It all started with jars of peanut butter.
“In the spring of 2017, House of Bread put out a call for a box of peanut butter jars to feed community members in need,” recalls Centerville resident Rebecca Quiñones, founder and head of community outreach for the Dayton PB&J Project. “Some friends and I provided it for them and that’s how we got started. It made us realize there was something simple we could do that really helps the community.”
Soon after that first donation, Dayton PB&J Project became a grassroots organization, and a member of The Heart of Centerville and Washington Township, an organization that supports Centerville area businesses. Rebecca’s good friend and partner Carol Wheeler, friends Karen Schweier, Mariluz Bustelo, Lorraine Vargas and their families have provided their time, effort and financial support. “We are truly a team of mothers who find our passion in working together to feed others,” says Rebecca.
Additionally, Rebecca’s daughter Sofia Quiñones has been a dedicated volunteer, helping collect donations, stock shelves at food pantries, unload trucks and rally her friends. “We’re always out collecting peanut butter and jelly and passing it on to places that can distribute it to hungry people,” Rebecca shares. “Sometimes we bring a truckload!”
While Rebecca manages a real estate brokerage as her day job, feeding the hungry is a passion with a personal connection for her. “I grew up poor. Sometimes peanut butter was all we had to eat. We even rationed jelly at home. So the House of Bread request spoke to me. I know what a lifeline it can be for people and I know how important it is to not go to bed hungry,” she says.
In addition to gathering boxes of jarred peanut butter and jelly, Rebecca and friends also stock the “pantries on a post” that you may have seen in Dayton, Fairborn, and other neighborhoods. They are similar to a Little Free Library, except with food inside, including peanut butter and jelly. “We want to get the food turned over once a week,” says Rebecca.
The PB&J Project was started to feed the hungry in the Dayton area, with peanut butter being the primary item collected for a few very good reasons. “Peanut butter is such a great way to get people protein for a low cost,” Rebecca says. “We have major drives at Thanksgiving, Christmas, spring break, and before summer. That’s because school is out at those times, and this is when kids tend to be the most food insecure.”
Anyone who needs an urgent food source can turn to the PB&J Project. “We have found that the need for this food is greater than we ever realized,” Rebecca mentions. “For example, more than a hundred kids in Fairborn’s Backpack Program get food for their backpacks due to need, both in primary and intermediate schools.” The PB&J Project is always looking to expand and serve whomever it can. They are even willing to distribute to individual families if needed, though they usually pass along collected items to House of Bread, Fairborn Schools, or other larger service organizations to handle the distribution.
The PB&J Project has impacted many area people, experiencing hunger, for the better. “After we donated 2,000 jars of peanut butter, we stopped counting,” Rebecca notes. “I can’t measure our impact exactly, but to me, if one kid doesn’t go to bed hungry, what we do is worth it.” One memorable moment with a hungry kid they served was when he received his own jar of peanut butter. “He asked, ‘Is this just for me?’” Rebecca recalls. “He was very excited.”
For those in the community who would like to support their efforts, Rebecca suggests that the best way to help is to reach out to PB&J through their Facebook page or website under “Contact Us.”
“Currently, we specifically need people to do peanut butter collection drives. We will then distribute them,” Rebecca mentions.
The PB&J Project will also be at the Centerville Fall Fest on Sunday, October 2. “We’ll be collecting peanut butter, jelly, and hopefully donations,” says Rebecca. “Please come out and see us.”
Cash donations as well as peanut butter, jelly and applesauce pouches (plastic pouches are preferred because some will go into little kids’ backpacks) are all needed. The PB&J Project doesn’t collect bread or crackers as those are provided by other organizations. “We prefer the little Kroger jars of peanut butter or jelly for donations, though we never say no to anything unless it’s expired,” she adds.
Rebecca shares some parting thoughts: “If you look for ways to help, there will always be opportunities to serve the community. Nobody can do this alone. Luckily, I’m surrounded by great friends and family, and we are all driven to give back.”
To volunteer or donate to the Dayton PB&J Project, visit their website DaytonPBJ.org or Facebook.com/DaytonPBJ.
“After we donated 2,000 jars of peanut butter, we stopped counting. I can’t measure our impact exactly, but to me, if one kid doesn’t go to bed hungry, what we do is worth it.”