Community Stories

Rising to the Challenge of Social Distancing

March 26, 2020

Staying connected with friends and family is important, now more than ever. As we work to ensure that social distancing does not turn into social isolation, people are finding new and creative ways to stay connected.

Marnie and Erin, long-time friends and fellow artists, took a unique approach that spawned into something beautiful.

Nearly two weeks ago, Marnie found out she would be at home for the foreseeable future, so she decided to give herself a challenge to keep her busy and to try something new. Not normally a fan of working in the kitchen, she decided to challenge herself to bake a loaf of bread every day for 14 days.

When her very first loaf came out of the oven, Marnie shared a photo with Erin who fell in love with the idea and decided to join the challenge – not by baking, but by painting. And so, from that day and each day since, Marnie has baked a loaf of bread and sent a photo to Erin, who then paints that picture on a small canvas. They call their self-made challenge Our Daily Bread.

A seemingly simple idea, Erin describes it as a source of inspiration, and a fun way to support each other through these challenging times.

To put the icing on the cake – or the butter on the bread, if you will – Erin and Marnie have decided to take their challenge one step further to support the community. At the end of the 14 days, Erin will host an online auction to sell her paintings and plans to donate the proceeds to The Mustard Seed.

There is no doubt that these next few weeks and months will be challenging, but by connecting and supporting one another, we will get through it. As a community, we are better together, even when we’re apart.

If you are interested in taking part, the auction will be held online until Saturday, March 28 at 9 p.m. Click here for details.