Clare Brumback joined the CEAP community 10 years ago. Her arrival at CEAP coincided with CEAP’s move into the newly constructed Northwest Family Service Center and shift to a choice model food shelf. Under Clare’s leadership, CEAP has continued to increase capacity and expand our programming to create new modes of access that meet our neighbors where they are, from fresh produce distribution to mobile food assistance.
Clare is known for asking, “Who else? What else?” She says, “Abundance is important to us and it’s very interwoven in our plans and our thoughts and our culture and how we choose to navigate forward, because we are a land of abundance. There is plenty out there for all of us and that attitude of abundance – of enough – has really propelled us forward I think, in a unique way.”
Abundance is more than dollars and pounds of food – it's also the love of neighbors helping neighbors and extending a hand of friendship and support to each other. “The idea of loving our neighbors and caring for our neighbors in all times, good and bad, was something that Madeline Roche intended in 1972 and we feel very strongly about continuing on that vision and that commitment 50 years later.”
CEAP is not just a basic needs organization; Clare emphasizes that CEAP is a place of joy for every neighbor and that there is joy in health, access, and community. “We recognize that food isn’t just a need and it’s not just about filling your tummies or providing nourishment, but it’s also about providing joy, and that’s very important to us.”
