FROM OUR COUNTRY DIRECTOR: Ana Grace Alvarado

“How many stars are there in the sky?” It’s a joke I heard growing up because in Spanish the response is “sin cuenta” [seeng-KWEHN-tahl, which can mean fifty (cincuenta) or uncountable (sin cuenta). As Country Director for about a year and a half, I’ve managed nine oven projects to support 34 women directly and 50 beneficiaries indirectly. However, the tears of happiness and appreciation that l’ve witnessed…sin cuenta (uncountable).

With 25 women interested and currently in the process of receiving an oven, I have found it rewarding and surprising to see just how much women in rural Costa Rica will do and give to support their families and communities. The speedy turnaround of applications demonstrates how determined some of these women are. Even women that may not read or write will find resources and do whatever they can to improve the quality of life for themselves and those around them.

When I was a volunteer, I was part of the physical construction of ovens, but I’ve been truly surprised to learn how much our Costa Rican staff does behind the scenes. My favorite place to help was always in the kitchen, because there you really get to know the women and leam about their day-to-day life. Now, as part of the Costa Rica staff, I have the greatest privilege of knowing our entrepreneurs more deeply, much earlier in the process, and understand how to best support them.

I’ve also had the pleasure of connecting with in-country partners and other people and institutions that share the same motivation to empower women and ensure they have the proper tools to grow.

To our volunteers, you continue to humble me. It is an immense privilege to witness your resiliency, adaptability, and bravery in going to another country and participating in these experiences alongside me.

I also sincerely appreciate everyone’s continued financial support. When I see the smiling faces and fruits of our labor, I am astonished by how much you truly believe in our capacity to empower rural women in Latin America to use their ovens to rise above poverty.

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS: Outreach ~ Awareness ~ Action

What have your gifts made possible?

A wider network of connections, understanding, and partnerships.

In St. Louis Park, MN, Bricks to Bread’s home oven is the prototype for those used by our women in Latin America. Our oven is a gathering place and fundraising tool for our annual Oktoberfiesta and seasonal baking events.

With our expansion into Alexandria, MN, new partnerships are enabling us to bake with new community members. Today, with funding from the Webster Family Foundation and Legacy Circle donors, we are close to owning a mobile oven so we can bring the baking to you and others!

What does the future look like?

Opportunities to bake and share our mission with others!

• More events! Thousands of individuals can enjoy freshly baked bread, pretzels, pizza, and more at public events, fundraising activities, baking demonstrations, and local venues.
• More awareness! We’re creating cross-cultural connections among families, communities, partners, and nations.
• More opportunity! Get to know Bricks to Bread and share our dedication to alleviating poverty by empowering women to become capable, confident entrepreneurs.
• LESS POVERTY in Latin America! Yes, it’s true! The loaves of bread you purchase, the donations you make, the events you attend give women the opportunity and resources they need to rise above poverty by establishing – and sustaining – economic stability with their Bricks to Bread oven and microenterprise bakeries.
  Help us reach our goal of owning this mobile oven, so we can continue our mission on behalf of the Latin American women we serve.

Visit https://secure.agiv.com/for/2025alexeventmobileoven

SPECIAL OKTOBERFIESTA GUEST: Marjorie Camacho Martínez

We can’t wait to introduce you to Marjorie Camacho Martinez at this year’s Oktoberfiesta celebration!

Since Minnesota volunteers built her oven in February 2025, Marjorie has turned her bakery in Las Brisas de Santa Cecilia into a thriving business with help from her husband, José.

She bakes several times a week, sells out in minutes, and now earns well above Costa Rica’s national poverty line. Reinvesting profits, they added a bedroom, replaced broken furniture,

landscaped and fenced their yard, paneled the bakery kitchen, and

bought packaging stickers, a corn grinder, a kitchen scale and eveglasses. They also installed internet for the first time and purchased a motorcycle for delivenes. An avid learer, Marjone trains through 4-H, attends the annual 3-day Empowering Women Entrepreneurs conference, and is studying baking, cake decorating, and learning how to make pastry cream (a less expensive alternative to cheese).

With her travel visa in hand, Marjorie will be our special guest this September! Watch for more details!

REMINDER: We’re baking in St. Louis Park (MN) & Alexandria (MN)

We bake when our women entrepreneurs bake! Our menu differs from week to week, and we have a new, special treat for you! So be sure you’re on our mailing list so you can pre-order before we sell out!

Morgan Patrick, founder of Untopped Wood Fired Crust, will prepare and donate fresh par-baked pizza crusts just for Bricks to Bread bread lovers! Morgan is a General Mills food scientist and Florence, Italy-trained pizzaiolo with an affinity for brick oven baking, women’s entrepreneurship, and community service. Our new partnership with Morgan feels like a perfect match – and I believe you’ll think so too when you taste her pizza crust!

Bricks to Bread Home Oven
3870 Yosemite Ave. S.

St. Louis Park, MN 55416

Alexandria Community Wood Fired Oven

2210 6th Ave. E.

Alexandria, MN 56308