Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service
Posted on 11/11/24
Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible volunteer award. It recognizes individuals who share their experience, talent, and skills to enrich their communities in ways consistent with AARP’s purpose and vision. Nancy’s unwavering commitment to volunteer service exemplifies the belief of AARP’s founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, in the power of ordinary people to do extraordinary things.
Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient
Nancy Alvarado is the volunteer founder of Bricks to Bread International, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps build brick ovens for Central American women seeking a sustainable source of income. Bricks to Bread fosters community, economic stability for women and their families, and a global connection as teams of volunteers collaborate with Costa Rican and Honduran entrepreneurs building their bakery businesses.
I hope I can inspire others to know that you can. You can find your passion, serve and give back to our community, both locally and internationally. I hope that my demonstration of really shooting for something, shooting for the stars, empowers other experienced adults to find their passion and serve because it has been an opportunity to fulfill my adult life.
Nancy Alvarado
Nancy's dedication to service began as a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 1990s, when she worked in the rural village of San Marcos de Cutris, Costa Rica. In 2012, she returned to visit the families she had served while in the Peace Corps. One family confided in Nancy about their struggle with extreme poverty. Recognizing the kitchen skills and determination of this mother and daughter, Nancy leveraged her background in finance and business development to raise funds and build a brick bread oven, kitchen, and shelter with the family. This initiative quickly transformed their lives, enabling them to sell hundreds of baked goods and earn significant income which led to financial independence. The brick oven became a community hub, fostering social connections to gather and share coffee, bread and camaraderie.
Driven by the success of this project, Nancy founded Bricks to Bread in 2016. The nonprofit now supports 20 bakery oven projects, benefiting 265 women and their families. The program, which adds five to six oven projects a year, offers financial, intellectual, and emotional resources, along with leadership and business training.
Bricks to Bread truly came out of a love and passion of serving, from the joy that I received supporting women and families while I was in the Peace Corps. It was something that I couldn't let go of, so I brought it to life with Bricks to Bread. It has become that perfect vehicle that not only allows me to continue to serve in a field I'm so passionate about but also gives me the opportunity to bring that same joy to others as they serve and volunteer with us.
Nancy Alvarado
To learn more about Bricks to Bread, and how you can get involved, visit brickstobread.org.
This story is provided by AARP Minnesota. Visit the AARP Minnesota page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.
AARP Events for Saint Paul
AARP Events for Saint Paul
-
Featured Event
Employer Secure Choice Retirement Webinar
Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. CT
Online through Minneapolis Regional Chamber
Online Event
-
Featured Event
Sending Money Safely Through P2P Payment Apps
Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. CT
Virtual
Online Event
-
Featured Event
Changes to Medicare for 2025 with MN Senior LinkAge Line
Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. CT
AARP
Bloomington, MN
Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal
- Immediate access to your member benefits
- Discounts on travel and everyday savings
- Subscription to AARP The Magazine
- FREE second membership
Join AARP
Already a member? Renew or
Print Card
Contact AARP
in the Twin Cities
Warning (2): include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html) [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242]Code Context<?php // if (!$nowrapper) (Globals::$language == 'es') ? include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_footer_es.html") : include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_footer.html"); ?><?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBDinclude (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 11/11/24 </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p><b>Nancy Alvarado</b> has been awarded the <b>2024 </b><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/volunteer/andrus-award-nominations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>AARP Andrus Award for Community Service</b></a></span></span><b> for Minnesota</b>. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible volunteer award. It recognizes individuals who share their experience, talent, and skills to enrich their communities in ways consistent with AARP’s purpose and vision. Nancy’s unwavering commitment to volunteer service exemplifies the belief of AARP’s founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, in the power of ordinary people to do extraordinary things.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-youtubeplayer data-video-player class="YouTubeVideoPlayer" data-player-id="fcbc4041c935143aa855cab630c71d639" data-video-id="CJ-i9Q-V2wY" data-video-title="Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient"> <iframe id="YouTubeVideoPlayer-fcbc4041c935143aa855cab630c71d639" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CJ-i9Q-V2wY?enablejsapi=1"></iframe> </bsp-youtubeplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>Nancy Alvarado is the volunteer founder of </b><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://brickstobread.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>Bricks to Bread International</b></a></span></span><b>, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps build brick ovens for Central American women seeking a sustainable source of income.</b> Bricks to Bread fosters community, economic stability for women and their families, and a global connection as teams of volunteers collaborate with Costa Rican and Honduran entrepreneurs building their bakery businesses.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><div class="FullQuote" > <blockquote > I hope I can inspire others to know that you can. You can find your passion, serve and give back to our community, both locally and internationally. I hope that my demonstration of really shooting for something, shooting for the stars, empowers other experienced adults to find their passion and serve because it has been an opportunity to fulfill my adult life. </blockquote> <div class="FullQuote-attribution" >Nancy Alvarado</div> </div></div> </div><p>Nancy's dedication to service began as a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 1990s, when she worked in the rural village of San Marcos de Cutris, Costa Rica. In 2012, she returned to visit the families she had served while in the Peace Corps. One family confided in Nancy about their struggle with extreme poverty. Recognizing the kitchen skills and determination of this mother and daughter, Nancy leveraged her background in finance and business development to raise funds and build a brick bread oven, kitchen, and shelter with the family. This initiative quickly transformed their lives, enabling them to sell hundreds of baked goods and earn significant income which led to financial independence. The brick oven became a community hub, fostering social connections to gather and share coffee, bread and camaraderie.<br><br>Driven by the success of this project, Nancy founded Bricks to Bread in 2016. The nonprofit now supports 20 bakery oven projects, benefiting 265 women and their families. The program, which adds five to six oven projects a year, offers financial, intellectual, and emotional resources, along with leadership and business training.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><div class="FullQuote" > <blockquote > Bricks to Bread truly came out of a love and passion of serving, from the joy that I received supporting women and families while I was in the Peace Corps. It was something that I couldn't let go of, so I brought it to life with Bricks to Bread. It has become that perfect vehicle that not only allows me to continue to serve in a field I'm so passionate about but also gives me the opportunity to bring that same joy to others as they serve and volunteer with us. </blockquote> <div class="FullQuote-attribution" >Nancy Alvarado</div> </div></div> </div><p>To learn more about Bricks to Bread, and how you can get involved, visit <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://brickstobread.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">brickstobread.org</a></span></span>.</p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Minnesota. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/minnesota/" target="_blank">AARP Minnesota</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/saint-paul-mn/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Saint Paul</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Saint Paul</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-retirement-made-easy-webinar-111324-7wns4z22hc7.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-EMPLOYER-SECURE-CHOICE-RETIREMENT-WEBINAR">Employer Secure Choice Retirement Webinar</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">Online through Minneapolis Regional Chamber</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-p2p-payment-apps-virtual-mn-111324-vkn89ss9jfn.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-SENDING-MONEY-SAFELY-THROUGH-P2P-PAYMENT-APPS">Sending Money Safely Through P2P Payment Apps</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">Virtual</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-changes-to-medicare-for-2025-bloominton-mn-111424-tkn9pskkhfy.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CHANGES-TO-MEDICARE-FOR-2025-WITH-MN-SENIOR-LINKAGE-LINE">Changes to Medicare for 2025 with MN Senior LinkAge Line</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">AARP</p> <p class="loc">Bloomington, MN</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SAINTPAUL-MN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SAINTPAUL-MN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Minnesota Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Minnesota Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP <br />in the Twin Cities</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:mnaarp@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mnaarp@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/minnesota/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Minnesota</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-minnesota/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-SAINTPAUL-MN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png" alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aarpmn" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png" alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarpminnesota/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible" name="description"/> <meta content="Volunteer, Founder, of, Bricks, Bread, Receives, Andrus, Award, Community, Service" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://states.aarp.org/minnesota/volunteer-founder-of-bricks-to-bread-receives-andrus-award-for-community-service" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/news/volunteer-founder-of-bricks-to-bread-receives-andrus-award-for-community-service-mn-2024-11-11.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3b4a70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/731x470+0+66/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fad%2Fff%2F409b589c43abac617663747bf87f%2F20210116-132645.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3b4a70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/731x470+0+66/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fad%2Fff%2F409b589c43abac617663747bf87f%2F20210116-132645.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }', 'title_for_layout' => '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 11/11/24 </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p><b>Nancy Alvarado</b> has been awarded the <b>2024 </b><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/volunteer/andrus-award-nominations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>AARP Andrus Award for Community Service</b></a></span></span><b> for Minnesota</b>. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible volunteer award. It recognizes individuals who share their experience, talent, and skills to enrich their communities in ways consistent with AARP’s purpose and vision. Nancy’s unwavering commitment to volunteer service exemplifies the belief of AARP’s founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, in the power of ordinary people to do extraordinary things.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-youtubeplayer data-video-player class="YouTubeVideoPlayer" data-player-id="fcbc4041c935143aa855cab630c71d639" data-video-id="CJ-i9Q-V2wY" data-video-title="Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient"> <iframe id="YouTubeVideoPlayer-fcbc4041c935143aa855cab630c71d639" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CJ-i9Q-V2wY?enablejsapi=1"></iframe> </bsp-youtubeplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>Nancy Alvarado is the volunteer founder of </b><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://brickstobread.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>Bricks to Bread International</b></a></span></span><b>, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps build brick ovens for Central American women seeking a sustainable source of income.</b> Bricks to Bread fosters community, economic stability for women and their families, and a global connection as teams of volunteers collaborate with Costa Rican and Honduran entrepreneurs building their bakery businesses.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><div class="FullQuote" > <blockquote > I hope I can inspire others to know that you can. You can find your passion, serve and give back to our community, both locally and internationally. I hope that my demonstration of really shooting for something, shooting for the stars, empowers other experienced adults to find their passion and serve because it has been an opportunity to fulfill my adult life. </blockquote> <div class="FullQuote-attribution" >Nancy Alvarado</div> </div></div> </div><p>Nancy's dedication to service began as a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 1990s, when she worked in the rural village of San Marcos de Cutris, Costa Rica. In 2012, she returned to visit the families she had served while in the Peace Corps. One family confided in Nancy about their struggle with extreme poverty. Recognizing the kitchen skills and determination of this mother and daughter, Nancy leveraged her background in finance and business development to raise funds and build a brick bread oven, kitchen, and shelter with the family. This initiative quickly transformed their lives, enabling them to sell hundreds of baked goods and earn significant income which led to financial independence. The brick oven became a community hub, fostering social connections to gather and share coffee, bread and camaraderie.<br><br>Driven by the success of this project, Nancy founded Bricks to Bread in 2016. The nonprofit now supports 20 bakery oven projects, benefiting 265 women and their families. The program, which adds five to six oven projects a year, offers financial, intellectual, and emotional resources, along with leadership and business training.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><div class="FullQuote" > <blockquote > Bricks to Bread truly came out of a love and passion of serving, from the joy that I received supporting women and families while I was in the Peace Corps. It was something that I couldn't let go of, so I brought it to life with Bricks to Bread. It has become that perfect vehicle that not only allows me to continue to serve in a field I'm so passionate about but also gives me the opportunity to bring that same joy to others as they serve and volunteer with us. </blockquote> <div class="FullQuote-attribution" >Nancy Alvarado</div> </div></div> </div><p>To learn more about Bricks to Bread, and how you can get involved, visit <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://brickstobread.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">brickstobread.org</a></span></span>.</p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Minnesota. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/minnesota/" target="_blank">AARP Minnesota</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/saint-paul-mn/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Saint Paul</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Saint Paul</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-retirement-made-easy-webinar-111324-7wns4z22hc7.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-EMPLOYER-SECURE-CHOICE-RETIREMENT-WEBINAR">Employer Secure Choice Retirement Webinar</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">Online through Minneapolis Regional Chamber</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-p2p-payment-apps-virtual-mn-111324-vkn89ss9jfn.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-SENDING-MONEY-SAFELY-THROUGH-P2P-PAYMENT-APPS">Sending Money Safely Through P2P Payment Apps</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">Virtual</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-changes-to-medicare-for-2025-bloominton-mn-111424-tkn9pskkhfy.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CHANGES-TO-MEDICARE-FOR-2025-WITH-MN-SENIOR-LINKAGE-LINE">Changes to Medicare for 2025 with MN Senior LinkAge Line</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">AARP</p> <p class="loc">Bloomington, MN</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SAINTPAUL-MN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SAINTPAUL-MN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Minnesota Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Minnesota Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP <br />in the Twin Cities</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:mnaarp@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mnaarp@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/minnesota/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Minnesota</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-minnesota/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-SAINTPAUL-MN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png" alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aarpmn" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png" alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarpminnesota/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible" name="description"/> <meta content="Volunteer, Founder, of, Bricks, Bread, Receives, Andrus, Award, Community, Service" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://states.aarp.org/minnesota/volunteer-founder-of-bricks-to-bread-receives-andrus-award-for-community-service" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/news/volunteer-founder-of-bricks-to-bread-receives-andrus-award-for-community-service-mn-2024-11-11.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3b4a70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/731x470+0+66/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fad%2Fff%2F409b589c43abac617663747bf87f%2F20210116-132645.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3b4a70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/731x470+0+66/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fad%2Fff%2F409b589c43abac617663747bf87f%2F20210116-132645.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }' $title_for_layout = '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = ' :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }' $highlighting = '<span class="highlighting">Highlighting Saint Paul</span>' $location = '<a href="/saint-paul-mn/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Twin Cities, MN</a>' $no_header = false $header_title = '<a href="/saint-paul-mn/happenings/">News Feed</a>' $header_subtitle = '' $isPR = false $navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse"> <div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div> <ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true"> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li> <li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more"> <span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span> <ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu"> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li> <!-- <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li> --> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav>' $header_custom = '' $breadcrumbs = array( (int) 0 => array( 'title' => 'News Feed', 'slug' => 'happenings' ) ) $row = array( 'title' => 'Back to News Feed', 'slug' => 'happenings' ) $i = (int) 0include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118
Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242]Code Context<?php // if (!$nowrapper) (Globals::$language == 'es') ? include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_footer_es.html") : include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_footer.html"); ?><?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBDinclude (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 11/11/24 </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p><b>Nancy Alvarado</b> has been awarded the <b>2024 </b><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/volunteer/andrus-award-nominations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>AARP Andrus Award for Community Service</b></a></span></span><b> for Minnesota</b>. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible volunteer award. It recognizes individuals who share their experience, talent, and skills to enrich their communities in ways consistent with AARP’s purpose and vision. Nancy’s unwavering commitment to volunteer service exemplifies the belief of AARP’s founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, in the power of ordinary people to do extraordinary things.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-youtubeplayer data-video-player class="YouTubeVideoPlayer" data-player-id="fcbc4041c935143aa855cab630c71d639" data-video-id="CJ-i9Q-V2wY" data-video-title="Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient"> <iframe id="YouTubeVideoPlayer-fcbc4041c935143aa855cab630c71d639" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CJ-i9Q-V2wY?enablejsapi=1"></iframe> </bsp-youtubeplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>Nancy Alvarado is the volunteer founder of </b><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://brickstobread.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>Bricks to Bread International</b></a></span></span><b>, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps build brick ovens for Central American women seeking a sustainable source of income.</b> Bricks to Bread fosters community, economic stability for women and their families, and a global connection as teams of volunteers collaborate with Costa Rican and Honduran entrepreneurs building their bakery businesses.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><div class="FullQuote" > <blockquote > I hope I can inspire others to know that you can. You can find your passion, serve and give back to our community, both locally and internationally. I hope that my demonstration of really shooting for something, shooting for the stars, empowers other experienced adults to find their passion and serve because it has been an opportunity to fulfill my adult life. </blockquote> <div class="FullQuote-attribution" >Nancy Alvarado</div> </div></div> </div><p>Nancy's dedication to service began as a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 1990s, when she worked in the rural village of San Marcos de Cutris, Costa Rica. In 2012, she returned to visit the families she had served while in the Peace Corps. One family confided in Nancy about their struggle with extreme poverty. Recognizing the kitchen skills and determination of this mother and daughter, Nancy leveraged her background in finance and business development to raise funds and build a brick bread oven, kitchen, and shelter with the family. This initiative quickly transformed their lives, enabling them to sell hundreds of baked goods and earn significant income which led to financial independence. The brick oven became a community hub, fostering social connections to gather and share coffee, bread and camaraderie.<br><br>Driven by the success of this project, Nancy founded Bricks to Bread in 2016. The nonprofit now supports 20 bakery oven projects, benefiting 265 women and their families. The program, which adds five to six oven projects a year, offers financial, intellectual, and emotional resources, along with leadership and business training.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><div class="FullQuote" > <blockquote > Bricks to Bread truly came out of a love and passion of serving, from the joy that I received supporting women and families while I was in the Peace Corps. It was something that I couldn't let go of, so I brought it to life with Bricks to Bread. It has become that perfect vehicle that not only allows me to continue to serve in a field I'm so passionate about but also gives me the opportunity to bring that same joy to others as they serve and volunteer with us. </blockquote> <div class="FullQuote-attribution" >Nancy Alvarado</div> </div></div> </div><p>To learn more about Bricks to Bread, and how you can get involved, visit <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://brickstobread.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">brickstobread.org</a></span></span>.</p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Minnesota. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/minnesota/" target="_blank">AARP Minnesota</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/saint-paul-mn/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Saint Paul</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Saint Paul</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-retirement-made-easy-webinar-111324-7wns4z22hc7.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-EMPLOYER-SECURE-CHOICE-RETIREMENT-WEBINAR">Employer Secure Choice Retirement Webinar</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">Online through Minneapolis Regional Chamber</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-p2p-payment-apps-virtual-mn-111324-vkn89ss9jfn.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-SENDING-MONEY-SAFELY-THROUGH-P2P-PAYMENT-APPS">Sending Money Safely Through P2P Payment Apps</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">Virtual</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-changes-to-medicare-for-2025-bloominton-mn-111424-tkn9pskkhfy.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CHANGES-TO-MEDICARE-FOR-2025-WITH-MN-SENIOR-LINKAGE-LINE">Changes to Medicare for 2025 with MN Senior LinkAge Line</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">AARP</p> <p class="loc">Bloomington, MN</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SAINTPAUL-MN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SAINTPAUL-MN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Minnesota Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Minnesota Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP <br />in the Twin Cities</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:mnaarp@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mnaarp@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/minnesota/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Minnesota</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-minnesota/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-SAINTPAUL-MN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png" alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aarpmn" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png" alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarpminnesota/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible" name="description"/> <meta content="Volunteer, Founder, of, Bricks, Bread, Receives, Andrus, Award, Community, Service" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://states.aarp.org/minnesota/volunteer-founder-of-bricks-to-bread-receives-andrus-award-for-community-service" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/news/volunteer-founder-of-bricks-to-bread-receives-andrus-award-for-community-service-mn-2024-11-11.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3b4a70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/731x470+0+66/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fad%2Fff%2F409b589c43abac617663747bf87f%2F20210116-132645.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3b4a70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/731x470+0+66/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fad%2Fff%2F409b589c43abac617663747bf87f%2F20210116-132645.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }', 'title_for_layout' => '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 11/11/24 </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p><b>Nancy Alvarado</b> has been awarded the <b>2024 </b><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/volunteer/andrus-award-nominations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>AARP Andrus Award for Community Service</b></a></span></span><b> for Minnesota</b>. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible volunteer award. It recognizes individuals who share their experience, talent, and skills to enrich their communities in ways consistent with AARP’s purpose and vision. Nancy’s unwavering commitment to volunteer service exemplifies the belief of AARP’s founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, in the power of ordinary people to do extraordinary things.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-youtubeplayer data-video-player class="YouTubeVideoPlayer" data-player-id="fcbc4041c935143aa855cab630c71d639" data-video-id="CJ-i9Q-V2wY" data-video-title="Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient"> <iframe id="YouTubeVideoPlayer-fcbc4041c935143aa855cab630c71d639" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CJ-i9Q-V2wY?enablejsapi=1"></iframe> </bsp-youtubeplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>Nancy Alvarado is the volunteer founder of </b><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://brickstobread.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>Bricks to Bread International</b></a></span></span><b>, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps build brick ovens for Central American women seeking a sustainable source of income.</b> Bricks to Bread fosters community, economic stability for women and their families, and a global connection as teams of volunteers collaborate with Costa Rican and Honduran entrepreneurs building their bakery businesses.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><div class="FullQuote" > <blockquote > I hope I can inspire others to know that you can. You can find your passion, serve and give back to our community, both locally and internationally. I hope that my demonstration of really shooting for something, shooting for the stars, empowers other experienced adults to find their passion and serve because it has been an opportunity to fulfill my adult life. </blockquote> <div class="FullQuote-attribution" >Nancy Alvarado</div> </div></div> </div><p>Nancy's dedication to service began as a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 1990s, when she worked in the rural village of San Marcos de Cutris, Costa Rica. In 2012, she returned to visit the families she had served while in the Peace Corps. One family confided in Nancy about their struggle with extreme poverty. Recognizing the kitchen skills and determination of this mother and daughter, Nancy leveraged her background in finance and business development to raise funds and build a brick bread oven, kitchen, and shelter with the family. This initiative quickly transformed their lives, enabling them to sell hundreds of baked goods and earn significant income which led to financial independence. The brick oven became a community hub, fostering social connections to gather and share coffee, bread and camaraderie.<br><br>Driven by the success of this project, Nancy founded Bricks to Bread in 2016. The nonprofit now supports 20 bakery oven projects, benefiting 265 women and their families. The program, which adds five to six oven projects a year, offers financial, intellectual, and emotional resources, along with leadership and business training.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><div class="FullQuote" > <blockquote > Bricks to Bread truly came out of a love and passion of serving, from the joy that I received supporting women and families while I was in the Peace Corps. It was something that I couldn't let go of, so I brought it to life with Bricks to Bread. It has become that perfect vehicle that not only allows me to continue to serve in a field I'm so passionate about but also gives me the opportunity to bring that same joy to others as they serve and volunteer with us. </blockquote> <div class="FullQuote-attribution" >Nancy Alvarado</div> </div></div> </div><p>To learn more about Bricks to Bread, and how you can get involved, visit <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://brickstobread.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">brickstobread.org</a></span></span>.</p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Minnesota. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/minnesota/" target="_blank">AARP Minnesota</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/saint-paul-mn/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Saint Paul</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Saint Paul</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-retirement-made-easy-webinar-111324-7wns4z22hc7.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-EMPLOYER-SECURE-CHOICE-RETIREMENT-WEBINAR">Employer Secure Choice Retirement Webinar</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">Online through Minneapolis Regional Chamber</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-p2p-payment-apps-virtual-mn-111324-vkn89ss9jfn.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-SENDING-MONEY-SAFELY-THROUGH-P2P-PAYMENT-APPS">Sending Money Safely Through P2P Payment Apps</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">Virtual</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-changes-to-medicare-for-2025-bloominton-mn-111424-tkn9pskkhfy.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CHANGES-TO-MEDICARE-FOR-2025-WITH-MN-SENIOR-LINKAGE-LINE">Changes to Medicare for 2025 with MN Senior LinkAge Line</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">AARP</p> <p class="loc">Bloomington, MN</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SAINTPAUL-MN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SAINTPAUL-MN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Minnesota Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Minnesota Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP <br />in the Twin Cities</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:mnaarp@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mnaarp@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/minnesota/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Minnesota</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-minnesota/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-SAINTPAUL-MN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png" alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aarpmn" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png" alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarpminnesota/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible" name="description"/> <meta content="Volunteer, Founder, of, Bricks, Bread, Receives, Andrus, Award, Community, Service" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://states.aarp.org/minnesota/volunteer-founder-of-bricks-to-bread-receives-andrus-award-for-community-service" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/news/volunteer-founder-of-bricks-to-bread-receives-andrus-award-for-community-service-mn-2024-11-11.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3b4a70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/731x470+0+66/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fad%2Fff%2F409b589c43abac617663747bf87f%2F20210116-132645.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3b4a70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/731x470+0+66/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fad%2Fff%2F409b589c43abac617663747bf87f%2F20210116-132645.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }' $title_for_layout = '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = ' :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }' $highlighting = '<span class="highlighting">Highlighting Saint Paul</span>' $location = '<a href="/saint-paul-mn/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Twin Cities, MN</a>' $no_header = false $header_title = '<a href="/saint-paul-mn/happenings/">News Feed</a>' $header_subtitle = '' $isPR = false $navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse"> <div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div> <ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true"> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li> <li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more"> <span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span> <ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu"> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li> <!-- <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li> --> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav>' $header_custom = '' $breadcrumbs = array( (int) 0 => array( 'title' => 'News Feed', 'slug' => 'happenings' ) ) $row = array( 'title' => 'Back to News Feed', 'slug' => 'happenings' ) $i = (int) 0include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118
Warning (2): include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html) [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243]Code Context<?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBDinclude (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html");$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 11/11/24 </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p><b>Nancy Alvarado</b> has been awarded the <b>2024 </b><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/volunteer/andrus-award-nominations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>AARP Andrus Award for Community Service</b></a></span></span><b> for Minnesota</b>. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible volunteer award. It recognizes individuals who share their experience, talent, and skills to enrich their communities in ways consistent with AARP’s purpose and vision. Nancy’s unwavering commitment to volunteer service exemplifies the belief of AARP’s founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, in the power of ordinary people to do extraordinary things.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-youtubeplayer data-video-player class="YouTubeVideoPlayer" data-player-id="fcbc4041c935143aa855cab630c71d639" data-video-id="CJ-i9Q-V2wY" data-video-title="Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient"> <iframe id="YouTubeVideoPlayer-fcbc4041c935143aa855cab630c71d639" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CJ-i9Q-V2wY?enablejsapi=1"></iframe> </bsp-youtubeplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>Nancy Alvarado is the volunteer founder of </b><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://brickstobread.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>Bricks to Bread International</b></a></span></span><b>, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps build brick ovens for Central American women seeking a sustainable source of income.</b> Bricks to Bread fosters community, economic stability for women and their families, and a global connection as teams of volunteers collaborate with Costa Rican and Honduran entrepreneurs building their bakery businesses.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><div class="FullQuote" > <blockquote > I hope I can inspire others to know that you can. You can find your passion, serve and give back to our community, both locally and internationally. I hope that my demonstration of really shooting for something, shooting for the stars, empowers other experienced adults to find their passion and serve because it has been an opportunity to fulfill my adult life. </blockquote> <div class="FullQuote-attribution" >Nancy Alvarado</div> </div></div> </div><p>Nancy's dedication to service began as a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 1990s, when she worked in the rural village of San Marcos de Cutris, Costa Rica. In 2012, she returned to visit the families she had served while in the Peace Corps. One family confided in Nancy about their struggle with extreme poverty. Recognizing the kitchen skills and determination of this mother and daughter, Nancy leveraged her background in finance and business development to raise funds and build a brick bread oven, kitchen, and shelter with the family. This initiative quickly transformed their lives, enabling them to sell hundreds of baked goods and earn significant income which led to financial independence. The brick oven became a community hub, fostering social connections to gather and share coffee, bread and camaraderie.<br><br>Driven by the success of this project, Nancy founded Bricks to Bread in 2016. The nonprofit now supports 20 bakery oven projects, benefiting 265 women and their families. The program, which adds five to six oven projects a year, offers financial, intellectual, and emotional resources, along with leadership and business training.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><div class="FullQuote" > <blockquote > Bricks to Bread truly came out of a love and passion of serving, from the joy that I received supporting women and families while I was in the Peace Corps. It was something that I couldn't let go of, so I brought it to life with Bricks to Bread. It has become that perfect vehicle that not only allows me to continue to serve in a field I'm so passionate about but also gives me the opportunity to bring that same joy to others as they serve and volunteer with us. </blockquote> <div class="FullQuote-attribution" >Nancy Alvarado</div> </div></div> </div><p>To learn more about Bricks to Bread, and how you can get involved, visit <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://brickstobread.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">brickstobread.org</a></span></span>.</p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Minnesota. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/minnesota/" target="_blank">AARP Minnesota</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/saint-paul-mn/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Saint Paul</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Saint Paul</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-retirement-made-easy-webinar-111324-7wns4z22hc7.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-EMPLOYER-SECURE-CHOICE-RETIREMENT-WEBINAR">Employer Secure Choice Retirement Webinar</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">Online through Minneapolis Regional Chamber</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-p2p-payment-apps-virtual-mn-111324-vkn89ss9jfn.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-SENDING-MONEY-SAFELY-THROUGH-P2P-PAYMENT-APPS">Sending Money Safely Through P2P Payment Apps</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">Virtual</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-changes-to-medicare-for-2025-bloominton-mn-111424-tkn9pskkhfy.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CHANGES-TO-MEDICARE-FOR-2025-WITH-MN-SENIOR-LINKAGE-LINE">Changes to Medicare for 2025 with MN Senior LinkAge Line</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">AARP</p> <p class="loc">Bloomington, MN</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SAINTPAUL-MN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SAINTPAUL-MN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Minnesota Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Minnesota Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP <br />in the Twin Cities</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:mnaarp@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mnaarp@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/minnesota/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Minnesota</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-minnesota/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-SAINTPAUL-MN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png" alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aarpmn" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png" alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarpminnesota/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible" name="description"/> <meta content="Volunteer, Founder, of, Bricks, Bread, Receives, Andrus, Award, Community, Service" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://states.aarp.org/minnesota/volunteer-founder-of-bricks-to-bread-receives-andrus-award-for-community-service" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/news/volunteer-founder-of-bricks-to-bread-receives-andrus-award-for-community-service-mn-2024-11-11.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3b4a70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/731x470+0+66/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fad%2Fff%2F409b589c43abac617663747bf87f%2F20210116-132645.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3b4a70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/731x470+0+66/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fad%2Fff%2F409b589c43abac617663747bf87f%2F20210116-132645.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }', 'title_for_layout' => '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 11/11/24 </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p><b>Nancy Alvarado</b> has been awarded the <b>2024 </b><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/volunteer/andrus-award-nominations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>AARP Andrus Award for Community Service</b></a></span></span><b> for Minnesota</b>. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible volunteer award. It recognizes individuals who share their experience, talent, and skills to enrich their communities in ways consistent with AARP’s purpose and vision. Nancy’s unwavering commitment to volunteer service exemplifies the belief of AARP’s founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, in the power of ordinary people to do extraordinary things.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-youtubeplayer data-video-player class="YouTubeVideoPlayer" data-player-id="fcbc4041c935143aa855cab630c71d639" data-video-id="CJ-i9Q-V2wY" data-video-title="Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient"> <iframe id="YouTubeVideoPlayer-fcbc4041c935143aa855cab630c71d639" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CJ-i9Q-V2wY?enablejsapi=1"></iframe> </bsp-youtubeplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>Nancy Alvarado is the volunteer founder of </b><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://brickstobread.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>Bricks to Bread International</b></a></span></span><b>, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps build brick ovens for Central American women seeking a sustainable source of income.</b> Bricks to Bread fosters community, economic stability for women and their families, and a global connection as teams of volunteers collaborate with Costa Rican and Honduran entrepreneurs building their bakery businesses.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><div class="FullQuote" > <blockquote > I hope I can inspire others to know that you can. You can find your passion, serve and give back to our community, both locally and internationally. I hope that my demonstration of really shooting for something, shooting for the stars, empowers other experienced adults to find their passion and serve because it has been an opportunity to fulfill my adult life. </blockquote> <div class="FullQuote-attribution" >Nancy Alvarado</div> </div></div> </div><p>Nancy's dedication to service began as a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 1990s, when she worked in the rural village of San Marcos de Cutris, Costa Rica. In 2012, she returned to visit the families she had served while in the Peace Corps. One family confided in Nancy about their struggle with extreme poverty. Recognizing the kitchen skills and determination of this mother and daughter, Nancy leveraged her background in finance and business development to raise funds and build a brick bread oven, kitchen, and shelter with the family. This initiative quickly transformed their lives, enabling them to sell hundreds of baked goods and earn significant income which led to financial independence. The brick oven became a community hub, fostering social connections to gather and share coffee, bread and camaraderie.<br><br>Driven by the success of this project, Nancy founded Bricks to Bread in 2016. The nonprofit now supports 20 bakery oven projects, benefiting 265 women and their families. The program, which adds five to six oven projects a year, offers financial, intellectual, and emotional resources, along with leadership and business training.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><div class="FullQuote" > <blockquote > Bricks to Bread truly came out of a love and passion of serving, from the joy that I received supporting women and families while I was in the Peace Corps. It was something that I couldn't let go of, so I brought it to life with Bricks to Bread. It has become that perfect vehicle that not only allows me to continue to serve in a field I'm so passionate about but also gives me the opportunity to bring that same joy to others as they serve and volunteer with us. </blockquote> <div class="FullQuote-attribution" >Nancy Alvarado</div> </div></div> </div><p>To learn more about Bricks to Bread, and how you can get involved, visit <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://brickstobread.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">brickstobread.org</a></span></span>.</p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Minnesota. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/minnesota/" target="_blank">AARP Minnesota</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/saint-paul-mn/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Saint Paul</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Saint Paul</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-retirement-made-easy-webinar-111324-7wns4z22hc7.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-EMPLOYER-SECURE-CHOICE-RETIREMENT-WEBINAR">Employer Secure Choice Retirement Webinar</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">Online through Minneapolis Regional Chamber</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-p2p-payment-apps-virtual-mn-111324-vkn89ss9jfn.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-SENDING-MONEY-SAFELY-THROUGH-P2P-PAYMENT-APPS">Sending Money Safely Through P2P Payment Apps</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">Virtual</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-changes-to-medicare-for-2025-bloominton-mn-111424-tkn9pskkhfy.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CHANGES-TO-MEDICARE-FOR-2025-WITH-MN-SENIOR-LINKAGE-LINE">Changes to Medicare for 2025 with MN Senior LinkAge Line</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">AARP</p> <p class="loc">Bloomington, MN</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SAINTPAUL-MN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SAINTPAUL-MN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Minnesota Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Minnesota Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP <br />in the Twin Cities</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:mnaarp@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mnaarp@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/minnesota/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Minnesota</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-minnesota/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-SAINTPAUL-MN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png" alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aarpmn" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png" alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarpminnesota/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible" name="description"/> <meta content="Volunteer, Founder, of, Bricks, Bread, Receives, Andrus, Award, Community, Service" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://states.aarp.org/minnesota/volunteer-founder-of-bricks-to-bread-receives-andrus-award-for-community-service" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/news/volunteer-founder-of-bricks-to-bread-receives-andrus-award-for-community-service-mn-2024-11-11.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3b4a70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/731x470+0+66/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fad%2Fff%2F409b589c43abac617663747bf87f%2F20210116-132645.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3b4a70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/731x470+0+66/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fad%2Fff%2F409b589c43abac617663747bf87f%2F20210116-132645.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }' $title_for_layout = '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = ' :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }' $highlighting = '<span class="highlighting">Highlighting Saint Paul</span>' $location = '<a href="/saint-paul-mn/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Twin Cities, MN</a>' $no_header = false $header_title = '<a href="/saint-paul-mn/happenings/">News Feed</a>' $header_subtitle = '' $isPR = false $navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse"> <div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div> <ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true"> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li> <li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more"> <span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span> <ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu"> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li> <!-- <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li> --> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav>' $header_custom = '' $breadcrumbs = array( (int) 0 => array( 'title' => 'News Feed', 'slug' => 'happenings' ) ) $row = array( 'title' => 'Back to News Feed', 'slug' => 'happenings' ) $i = (int) 0include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118
Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243]Code Context<?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBDinclude (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html");$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 11/11/24 </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p><b>Nancy Alvarado</b> has been awarded the <b>2024 </b><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/volunteer/andrus-award-nominations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>AARP Andrus Award for Community Service</b></a></span></span><b> for Minnesota</b>. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible volunteer award. It recognizes individuals who share their experience, talent, and skills to enrich their communities in ways consistent with AARP’s purpose and vision. Nancy’s unwavering commitment to volunteer service exemplifies the belief of AARP’s founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, in the power of ordinary people to do extraordinary things.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-youtubeplayer data-video-player class="YouTubeVideoPlayer" data-player-id="fcbc4041c935143aa855cab630c71d639" data-video-id="CJ-i9Q-V2wY" data-video-title="Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient"> <iframe id="YouTubeVideoPlayer-fcbc4041c935143aa855cab630c71d639" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CJ-i9Q-V2wY?enablejsapi=1"></iframe> </bsp-youtubeplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>Nancy Alvarado is the volunteer founder of </b><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://brickstobread.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>Bricks to Bread International</b></a></span></span><b>, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps build brick ovens for Central American women seeking a sustainable source of income.</b> Bricks to Bread fosters community, economic stability for women and their families, and a global connection as teams of volunteers collaborate with Costa Rican and Honduran entrepreneurs building their bakery businesses.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><div class="FullQuote" > <blockquote > I hope I can inspire others to know that you can. You can find your passion, serve and give back to our community, both locally and internationally. I hope that my demonstration of really shooting for something, shooting for the stars, empowers other experienced adults to find their passion and serve because it has been an opportunity to fulfill my adult life. </blockquote> <div class="FullQuote-attribution" >Nancy Alvarado</div> </div></div> </div><p>Nancy's dedication to service began as a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 1990s, when she worked in the rural village of San Marcos de Cutris, Costa Rica. In 2012, she returned to visit the families she had served while in the Peace Corps. One family confided in Nancy about their struggle with extreme poverty. Recognizing the kitchen skills and determination of this mother and daughter, Nancy leveraged her background in finance and business development to raise funds and build a brick bread oven, kitchen, and shelter with the family. This initiative quickly transformed their lives, enabling them to sell hundreds of baked goods and earn significant income which led to financial independence. The brick oven became a community hub, fostering social connections to gather and share coffee, bread and camaraderie.<br><br>Driven by the success of this project, Nancy founded Bricks to Bread in 2016. The nonprofit now supports 20 bakery oven projects, benefiting 265 women and their families. The program, which adds five to six oven projects a year, offers financial, intellectual, and emotional resources, along with leadership and business training.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><div class="FullQuote" > <blockquote > Bricks to Bread truly came out of a love and passion of serving, from the joy that I received supporting women and families while I was in the Peace Corps. It was something that I couldn't let go of, so I brought it to life with Bricks to Bread. It has become that perfect vehicle that not only allows me to continue to serve in a field I'm so passionate about but also gives me the opportunity to bring that same joy to others as they serve and volunteer with us. </blockquote> <div class="FullQuote-attribution" >Nancy Alvarado</div> </div></div> </div><p>To learn more about Bricks to Bread, and how you can get involved, visit <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://brickstobread.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">brickstobread.org</a></span></span>.</p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Minnesota. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/minnesota/" target="_blank">AARP Minnesota</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/saint-paul-mn/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Saint Paul</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Saint Paul</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-retirement-made-easy-webinar-111324-7wns4z22hc7.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-EMPLOYER-SECURE-CHOICE-RETIREMENT-WEBINAR">Employer Secure Choice Retirement Webinar</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">Online through Minneapolis Regional Chamber</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-p2p-payment-apps-virtual-mn-111324-vkn89ss9jfn.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-SENDING-MONEY-SAFELY-THROUGH-P2P-PAYMENT-APPS">Sending Money Safely Through P2P Payment Apps</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">Virtual</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-changes-to-medicare-for-2025-bloominton-mn-111424-tkn9pskkhfy.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CHANGES-TO-MEDICARE-FOR-2025-WITH-MN-SENIOR-LINKAGE-LINE">Changes to Medicare for 2025 with MN Senior LinkAge Line</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">AARP</p> <p class="loc">Bloomington, MN</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SAINTPAUL-MN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SAINTPAUL-MN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Minnesota Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Minnesota Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP <br />in the Twin Cities</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:mnaarp@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mnaarp@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/minnesota/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Minnesota</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-minnesota/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-SAINTPAUL-MN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png" alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aarpmn" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png" alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarpminnesota/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible" name="description"/> <meta content="Volunteer, Founder, of, Bricks, Bread, Receives, Andrus, Award, Community, Service" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://states.aarp.org/minnesota/volunteer-founder-of-bricks-to-bread-receives-andrus-award-for-community-service" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/news/volunteer-founder-of-bricks-to-bread-receives-andrus-award-for-community-service-mn-2024-11-11.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3b4a70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/731x470+0+66/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fad%2Fff%2F409b589c43abac617663747bf87f%2F20210116-132645.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3b4a70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/731x470+0+66/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fad%2Fff%2F409b589c43abac617663747bf87f%2F20210116-132645.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }', 'title_for_layout' => '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 11/11/24 </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p><b>Nancy Alvarado</b> has been awarded the <b>2024 </b><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/volunteer/andrus-award-nominations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>AARP Andrus Award for Community Service</b></a></span></span><b> for Minnesota</b>. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible volunteer award. It recognizes individuals who share their experience, talent, and skills to enrich their communities in ways consistent with AARP’s purpose and vision. Nancy’s unwavering commitment to volunteer service exemplifies the belief of AARP’s founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, in the power of ordinary people to do extraordinary things.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-youtubeplayer data-video-player class="YouTubeVideoPlayer" data-player-id="fcbc4041c935143aa855cab630c71d639" data-video-id="CJ-i9Q-V2wY" data-video-title="Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient"> <iframe id="YouTubeVideoPlayer-fcbc4041c935143aa855cab630c71d639" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CJ-i9Q-V2wY?enablejsapi=1"></iframe> </bsp-youtubeplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>Nancy Alvarado is the volunteer founder of </b><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://brickstobread.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>Bricks to Bread International</b></a></span></span><b>, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps build brick ovens for Central American women seeking a sustainable source of income.</b> Bricks to Bread fosters community, economic stability for women and their families, and a global connection as teams of volunteers collaborate with Costa Rican and Honduran entrepreneurs building their bakery businesses.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><div class="FullQuote" > <blockquote > I hope I can inspire others to know that you can. You can find your passion, serve and give back to our community, both locally and internationally. I hope that my demonstration of really shooting for something, shooting for the stars, empowers other experienced adults to find their passion and serve because it has been an opportunity to fulfill my adult life. </blockquote> <div class="FullQuote-attribution" >Nancy Alvarado</div> </div></div> </div><p>Nancy's dedication to service began as a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 1990s, when she worked in the rural village of San Marcos de Cutris, Costa Rica. In 2012, she returned to visit the families she had served while in the Peace Corps. One family confided in Nancy about their struggle with extreme poverty. Recognizing the kitchen skills and determination of this mother and daughter, Nancy leveraged her background in finance and business development to raise funds and build a brick bread oven, kitchen, and shelter with the family. This initiative quickly transformed their lives, enabling them to sell hundreds of baked goods and earn significant income which led to financial independence. The brick oven became a community hub, fostering social connections to gather and share coffee, bread and camaraderie.<br><br>Driven by the success of this project, Nancy founded Bricks to Bread in 2016. The nonprofit now supports 20 bakery oven projects, benefiting 265 women and their families. The program, which adds five to six oven projects a year, offers financial, intellectual, and emotional resources, along with leadership and business training.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><div class="FullQuote" > <blockquote > Bricks to Bread truly came out of a love and passion of serving, from the joy that I received supporting women and families while I was in the Peace Corps. It was something that I couldn't let go of, so I brought it to life with Bricks to Bread. It has become that perfect vehicle that not only allows me to continue to serve in a field I'm so passionate about but also gives me the opportunity to bring that same joy to others as they serve and volunteer with us. </blockquote> <div class="FullQuote-attribution" >Nancy Alvarado</div> </div></div> </div><p>To learn more about Bricks to Bread, and how you can get involved, visit <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://brickstobread.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">brickstobread.org</a></span></span>.</p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Minnesota. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/minnesota/" target="_blank">AARP Minnesota</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/saint-paul-mn/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Saint Paul</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Saint Paul</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-retirement-made-easy-webinar-111324-7wns4z22hc7.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-EMPLOYER-SECURE-CHOICE-RETIREMENT-WEBINAR">Employer Secure Choice Retirement Webinar</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">Online through Minneapolis Regional Chamber</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-p2p-payment-apps-virtual-mn-111324-vkn89ss9jfn.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-SENDING-MONEY-SAFELY-THROUGH-P2P-PAYMENT-APPS">Sending Money Safely Through P2P Payment Apps</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">Virtual</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-changes-to-medicare-for-2025-bloominton-mn-111424-tkn9pskkhfy.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CHANGES-TO-MEDICARE-FOR-2025-WITH-MN-SENIOR-LINKAGE-LINE">Changes to Medicare for 2025 with MN Senior LinkAge Line</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">AARP</p> <p class="loc">Bloomington, MN</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SAINTPAUL-MN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SAINTPAUL-MN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Minnesota Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Minnesota Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP <br />in the Twin Cities</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:mnaarp@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mnaarp@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/minnesota/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Minnesota</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-minnesota/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-SAINTPAUL-MN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png" alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aarpmn" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png" alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarpminnesota/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible" name="description"/> <meta content="Volunteer, Founder, of, Bricks, Bread, Receives, Andrus, Award, Community, Service" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://states.aarp.org/minnesota/volunteer-founder-of-bricks-to-bread-receives-andrus-award-for-community-service" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/news/volunteer-founder-of-bricks-to-bread-receives-andrus-award-for-community-service-mn-2024-11-11.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3b4a70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/731x470+0+66/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fad%2Fff%2F409b589c43abac617663747bf87f%2F20210116-132645.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3b4a70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/731x470+0+66/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fad%2Fff%2F409b589c43abac617663747bf87f%2F20210116-132645.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }' $title_for_layout = '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = ' :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }' $highlighting = '<span class="highlighting">Highlighting Saint Paul</span>' $location = '<a href="/saint-paul-mn/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Twin Cities, MN</a>' $no_header = false $header_title = '<a href="/saint-paul-mn/happenings/">News Feed</a>' $header_subtitle = '' $isPR = false $navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse"> <div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div> <ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true"> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li> <li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more"> <span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span> <ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu"> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li> <!-- <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li> --> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav>' $header_custom = '' $breadcrumbs = array( (int) 0 => array( 'title' => 'News Feed', 'slug' => 'happenings' ) ) $row = array( 'title' => 'Back to News Feed', 'slug' => 'happenings' ) $i = (int) 0include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118
Warning (2): include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.resource.footer.root.html) [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244]Code Contextinclude (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html");include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.resource.footer.root.html");$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 11/11/24 </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p><b>Nancy Alvarado</b> has been awarded the <b>2024 </b><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/volunteer/andrus-award-nominations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>AARP Andrus Award for Community Service</b></a></span></span><b> for Minnesota</b>. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible volunteer award. It recognizes individuals who share their experience, talent, and skills to enrich their communities in ways consistent with AARP’s purpose and vision. Nancy’s unwavering commitment to volunteer service exemplifies the belief of AARP’s founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, in the power of ordinary people to do extraordinary things.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-youtubeplayer data-video-player class="YouTubeVideoPlayer" data-player-id="fcbc4041c935143aa855cab630c71d639" data-video-id="CJ-i9Q-V2wY" data-video-title="Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient"> <iframe id="YouTubeVideoPlayer-fcbc4041c935143aa855cab630c71d639" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CJ-i9Q-V2wY?enablejsapi=1"></iframe> </bsp-youtubeplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>Nancy Alvarado is the volunteer founder of </b><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://brickstobread.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>Bricks to Bread International</b></a></span></span><b>, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps build brick ovens for Central American women seeking a sustainable source of income.</b> Bricks to Bread fosters community, economic stability for women and their families, and a global connection as teams of volunteers collaborate with Costa Rican and Honduran entrepreneurs building their bakery businesses.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><div class="FullQuote" > <blockquote > I hope I can inspire others to know that you can. You can find your passion, serve and give back to our community, both locally and internationally. I hope that my demonstration of really shooting for something, shooting for the stars, empowers other experienced adults to find their passion and serve because it has been an opportunity to fulfill my adult life. </blockquote> <div class="FullQuote-attribution" >Nancy Alvarado</div> </div></div> </div><p>Nancy's dedication to service began as a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 1990s, when she worked in the rural village of San Marcos de Cutris, Costa Rica. In 2012, she returned to visit the families she had served while in the Peace Corps. One family confided in Nancy about their struggle with extreme poverty. Recognizing the kitchen skills and determination of this mother and daughter, Nancy leveraged her background in finance and business development to raise funds and build a brick bread oven, kitchen, and shelter with the family. This initiative quickly transformed their lives, enabling them to sell hundreds of baked goods and earn significant income which led to financial independence. The brick oven became a community hub, fostering social connections to gather and share coffee, bread and camaraderie.<br><br>Driven by the success of this project, Nancy founded Bricks to Bread in 2016. The nonprofit now supports 20 bakery oven projects, benefiting 265 women and their families. The program, which adds five to six oven projects a year, offers financial, intellectual, and emotional resources, along with leadership and business training.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><div class="FullQuote" > <blockquote > Bricks to Bread truly came out of a love and passion of serving, from the joy that I received supporting women and families while I was in the Peace Corps. It was something that I couldn't let go of, so I brought it to life with Bricks to Bread. It has become that perfect vehicle that not only allows me to continue to serve in a field I'm so passionate about but also gives me the opportunity to bring that same joy to others as they serve and volunteer with us. </blockquote> <div class="FullQuote-attribution" >Nancy Alvarado</div> </div></div> </div><p>To learn more about Bricks to Bread, and how you can get involved, visit <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://brickstobread.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">brickstobread.org</a></span></span>.</p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Minnesota. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/minnesota/" target="_blank">AARP Minnesota</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/saint-paul-mn/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Saint Paul</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Saint Paul</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-retirement-made-easy-webinar-111324-7wns4z22hc7.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-EMPLOYER-SECURE-CHOICE-RETIREMENT-WEBINAR">Employer Secure Choice Retirement Webinar</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">Online through Minneapolis Regional Chamber</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-p2p-payment-apps-virtual-mn-111324-vkn89ss9jfn.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-SENDING-MONEY-SAFELY-THROUGH-P2P-PAYMENT-APPS">Sending Money Safely Through P2P Payment Apps</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">Virtual</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-changes-to-medicare-for-2025-bloominton-mn-111424-tkn9pskkhfy.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CHANGES-TO-MEDICARE-FOR-2025-WITH-MN-SENIOR-LINKAGE-LINE">Changes to Medicare for 2025 with MN Senior LinkAge Line</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">AARP</p> <p class="loc">Bloomington, MN</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SAINTPAUL-MN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SAINTPAUL-MN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Minnesota Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Minnesota Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP <br />in the Twin Cities</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:mnaarp@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mnaarp@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/minnesota/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Minnesota</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-minnesota/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-SAINTPAUL-MN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png" alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aarpmn" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png" alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarpminnesota/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible" name="description"/> <meta content="Volunteer, Founder, of, Bricks, Bread, Receives, Andrus, Award, Community, Service" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://states.aarp.org/minnesota/volunteer-founder-of-bricks-to-bread-receives-andrus-award-for-community-service" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/news/volunteer-founder-of-bricks-to-bread-receives-andrus-award-for-community-service-mn-2024-11-11.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3b4a70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/731x470+0+66/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fad%2Fff%2F409b589c43abac617663747bf87f%2F20210116-132645.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3b4a70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/731x470+0+66/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fad%2Fff%2F409b589c43abac617663747bf87f%2F20210116-132645.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }', 'title_for_layout' => '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 11/11/24 </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p><b>Nancy Alvarado</b> has been awarded the <b>2024 </b><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/volunteer/andrus-award-nominations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>AARP Andrus Award for Community Service</b></a></span></span><b> for Minnesota</b>. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible volunteer award. It recognizes individuals who share their experience, talent, and skills to enrich their communities in ways consistent with AARP’s purpose and vision. Nancy’s unwavering commitment to volunteer service exemplifies the belief of AARP’s founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, in the power of ordinary people to do extraordinary things.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-youtubeplayer data-video-player class="YouTubeVideoPlayer" data-player-id="fcbc4041c935143aa855cab630c71d639" data-video-id="CJ-i9Q-V2wY" data-video-title="Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient"> <iframe id="YouTubeVideoPlayer-fcbc4041c935143aa855cab630c71d639" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CJ-i9Q-V2wY?enablejsapi=1"></iframe> </bsp-youtubeplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>Nancy Alvarado is the volunteer founder of </b><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://brickstobread.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>Bricks to Bread International</b></a></span></span><b>, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps build brick ovens for Central American women seeking a sustainable source of income.</b> Bricks to Bread fosters community, economic stability for women and their families, and a global connection as teams of volunteers collaborate with Costa Rican and Honduran entrepreneurs building their bakery businesses.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><div class="FullQuote" > <blockquote > I hope I can inspire others to know that you can. You can find your passion, serve and give back to our community, both locally and internationally. I hope that my demonstration of really shooting for something, shooting for the stars, empowers other experienced adults to find their passion and serve because it has been an opportunity to fulfill my adult life. </blockquote> <div class="FullQuote-attribution" >Nancy Alvarado</div> </div></div> </div><p>Nancy's dedication to service began as a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 1990s, when she worked in the rural village of San Marcos de Cutris, Costa Rica. In 2012, she returned to visit the families she had served while in the Peace Corps. One family confided in Nancy about their struggle with extreme poverty. Recognizing the kitchen skills and determination of this mother and daughter, Nancy leveraged her background in finance and business development to raise funds and build a brick bread oven, kitchen, and shelter with the family. This initiative quickly transformed their lives, enabling them to sell hundreds of baked goods and earn significant income which led to financial independence. The brick oven became a community hub, fostering social connections to gather and share coffee, bread and camaraderie.<br><br>Driven by the success of this project, Nancy founded Bricks to Bread in 2016. The nonprofit now supports 20 bakery oven projects, benefiting 265 women and their families. The program, which adds five to six oven projects a year, offers financial, intellectual, and emotional resources, along with leadership and business training.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><div class="FullQuote" > <blockquote > Bricks to Bread truly came out of a love and passion of serving, from the joy that I received supporting women and families while I was in the Peace Corps. It was something that I couldn't let go of, so I brought it to life with Bricks to Bread. It has become that perfect vehicle that not only allows me to continue to serve in a field I'm so passionate about but also gives me the opportunity to bring that same joy to others as they serve and volunteer with us. </blockquote> <div class="FullQuote-attribution" >Nancy Alvarado</div> </div></div> </div><p>To learn more about Bricks to Bread, and how you can get involved, visit <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://brickstobread.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">brickstobread.org</a></span></span>.</p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Minnesota. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/minnesota/" target="_blank">AARP Minnesota</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/saint-paul-mn/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Saint Paul</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Saint Paul</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-retirement-made-easy-webinar-111324-7wns4z22hc7.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-EMPLOYER-SECURE-CHOICE-RETIREMENT-WEBINAR">Employer Secure Choice Retirement Webinar</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">Online through Minneapolis Regional Chamber</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-p2p-payment-apps-virtual-mn-111324-vkn89ss9jfn.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-SENDING-MONEY-SAFELY-THROUGH-P2P-PAYMENT-APPS">Sending Money Safely Through P2P Payment Apps</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">Virtual</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-changes-to-medicare-for-2025-bloominton-mn-111424-tkn9pskkhfy.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CHANGES-TO-MEDICARE-FOR-2025-WITH-MN-SENIOR-LINKAGE-LINE">Changes to Medicare for 2025 with MN Senior LinkAge Line</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">AARP</p> <p class="loc">Bloomington, MN</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SAINTPAUL-MN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SAINTPAUL-MN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Minnesota Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Minnesota Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP <br />in the Twin Cities</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:mnaarp@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mnaarp@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/minnesota/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Minnesota</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-minnesota/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-SAINTPAUL-MN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png" alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aarpmn" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png" alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarpminnesota/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible" name="description"/> <meta content="Volunteer, Founder, of, Bricks, Bread, Receives, Andrus, Award, Community, Service" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://states.aarp.org/minnesota/volunteer-founder-of-bricks-to-bread-receives-andrus-award-for-community-service" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/news/volunteer-founder-of-bricks-to-bread-receives-andrus-award-for-community-service-mn-2024-11-11.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3b4a70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/731x470+0+66/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fad%2Fff%2F409b589c43abac617663747bf87f%2F20210116-132645.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3b4a70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/731x470+0+66/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fad%2Fff%2F409b589c43abac617663747bf87f%2F20210116-132645.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }' $title_for_layout = '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = ' :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }' $highlighting = '<span class="highlighting">Highlighting Saint Paul</span>' $location = '<a href="/saint-paul-mn/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Twin Cities, MN</a>' $no_header = false $header_title = '<a href="/saint-paul-mn/happenings/">News Feed</a>' $header_subtitle = '' $isPR = false $navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse"> <div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div> <ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true"> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li> <li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more"> <span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span> <ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu"> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li> <!-- <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li> --> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav>' $header_custom = '' $breadcrumbs = array( (int) 0 => array( 'title' => 'News Feed', 'slug' => 'happenings' ) ) $row = array( 'title' => 'Back to News Feed', 'slug' => 'happenings' ) $i = (int) 0include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118
Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.resource.footer.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244]Code Contextinclude (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html");include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.resource.footer.root.html");$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 11/11/24 </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p><b>Nancy Alvarado</b> has been awarded the <b>2024 </b><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/volunteer/andrus-award-nominations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>AARP Andrus Award for Community Service</b></a></span></span><b> for Minnesota</b>. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible volunteer award. It recognizes individuals who share their experience, talent, and skills to enrich their communities in ways consistent with AARP’s purpose and vision. Nancy’s unwavering commitment to volunteer service exemplifies the belief of AARP’s founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, in the power of ordinary people to do extraordinary things.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-youtubeplayer data-video-player class="YouTubeVideoPlayer" data-player-id="fcbc4041c935143aa855cab630c71d639" data-video-id="CJ-i9Q-V2wY" data-video-title="Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient"> <iframe id="YouTubeVideoPlayer-fcbc4041c935143aa855cab630c71d639" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CJ-i9Q-V2wY?enablejsapi=1"></iframe> </bsp-youtubeplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>Nancy Alvarado is the volunteer founder of </b><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://brickstobread.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>Bricks to Bread International</b></a></span></span><b>, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps build brick ovens for Central American women seeking a sustainable source of income.</b> Bricks to Bread fosters community, economic stability for women and their families, and a global connection as teams of volunteers collaborate with Costa Rican and Honduran entrepreneurs building their bakery businesses.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><div class="FullQuote" > <blockquote > I hope I can inspire others to know that you can. You can find your passion, serve and give back to our community, both locally and internationally. I hope that my demonstration of really shooting for something, shooting for the stars, empowers other experienced adults to find their passion and serve because it has been an opportunity to fulfill my adult life. </blockquote> <div class="FullQuote-attribution" >Nancy Alvarado</div> </div></div> </div><p>Nancy's dedication to service began as a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 1990s, when she worked in the rural village of San Marcos de Cutris, Costa Rica. In 2012, she returned to visit the families she had served while in the Peace Corps. One family confided in Nancy about their struggle with extreme poverty. Recognizing the kitchen skills and determination of this mother and daughter, Nancy leveraged her background in finance and business development to raise funds and build a brick bread oven, kitchen, and shelter with the family. This initiative quickly transformed their lives, enabling them to sell hundreds of baked goods and earn significant income which led to financial independence. The brick oven became a community hub, fostering social connections to gather and share coffee, bread and camaraderie.<br><br>Driven by the success of this project, Nancy founded Bricks to Bread in 2016. The nonprofit now supports 20 bakery oven projects, benefiting 265 women and their families. The program, which adds five to six oven projects a year, offers financial, intellectual, and emotional resources, along with leadership and business training.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><div class="FullQuote" > <blockquote > Bricks to Bread truly came out of a love and passion of serving, from the joy that I received supporting women and families while I was in the Peace Corps. It was something that I couldn't let go of, so I brought it to life with Bricks to Bread. It has become that perfect vehicle that not only allows me to continue to serve in a field I'm so passionate about but also gives me the opportunity to bring that same joy to others as they serve and volunteer with us. </blockquote> <div class="FullQuote-attribution" >Nancy Alvarado</div> </div></div> </div><p>To learn more about Bricks to Bread, and how you can get involved, visit <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://brickstobread.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">brickstobread.org</a></span></span>.</p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Minnesota. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/minnesota/" target="_blank">AARP Minnesota</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/saint-paul-mn/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Saint Paul</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Saint Paul</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-retirement-made-easy-webinar-111324-7wns4z22hc7.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-EMPLOYER-SECURE-CHOICE-RETIREMENT-WEBINAR">Employer Secure Choice Retirement Webinar</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">Online through Minneapolis Regional Chamber</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-p2p-payment-apps-virtual-mn-111324-vkn89ss9jfn.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-SENDING-MONEY-SAFELY-THROUGH-P2P-PAYMENT-APPS">Sending Money Safely Through P2P Payment Apps</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">Virtual</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-changes-to-medicare-for-2025-bloominton-mn-111424-tkn9pskkhfy.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CHANGES-TO-MEDICARE-FOR-2025-WITH-MN-SENIOR-LINKAGE-LINE">Changes to Medicare for 2025 with MN Senior LinkAge Line</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">AARP</p> <p class="loc">Bloomington, MN</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SAINTPAUL-MN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SAINTPAUL-MN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Minnesota Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Minnesota Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP <br />in the Twin Cities</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:mnaarp@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mnaarp@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/minnesota/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Minnesota</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-minnesota/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-SAINTPAUL-MN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png" alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aarpmn" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png" alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarpminnesota/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible" name="description"/> <meta content="Volunteer, Founder, of, Bricks, Bread, Receives, Andrus, Award, Community, Service" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://states.aarp.org/minnesota/volunteer-founder-of-bricks-to-bread-receives-andrus-award-for-community-service" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/news/volunteer-founder-of-bricks-to-bread-receives-andrus-award-for-community-service-mn-2024-11-11.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3b4a70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/731x470+0+66/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fad%2Fff%2F409b589c43abac617663747bf87f%2F20210116-132645.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3b4a70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/731x470+0+66/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fad%2Fff%2F409b589c43abac617663747bf87f%2F20210116-132645.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }', 'title_for_layout' => '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service</h1></header> <div class="posted-on"> Posted on 11/11/24 </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer"> <span class="blog-content"><p><div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p><b>Nancy Alvarado</b> has been awarded the <b>2024 </b><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://www.aarp.org/volunteer/andrus-award-nominations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>AARP Andrus Award for Community Service</b></a></span></span><b> for Minnesota</b>. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible volunteer award. It recognizes individuals who share their experience, talent, and skills to enrich their communities in ways consistent with AARP’s purpose and vision. Nancy’s unwavering commitment to volunteer service exemplifies the belief of AARP’s founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, in the power of ordinary people to do extraordinary things.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><span class="VideoEnhancement" data-video-disable-history data-embeddedvideo-container> <div class="VideoEnhancement-player"><bsp-youtubeplayer data-video-player class="YouTubeVideoPlayer" data-player-id="fcbc4041c935143aa855cab630c71d639" data-video-id="CJ-i9Q-V2wY" data-video-title="Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient"> <iframe id="YouTubeVideoPlayer-fcbc4041c935143aa855cab630c71d639" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CJ-i9Q-V2wY?enablejsapi=1"></iframe> </bsp-youtubeplayer> </div> <div class="VideoEnhancement-title">Meet Nancy Alvarado: 2024 AARP Andrus Award Recipient</div> </span> </div> </div><p><b>Nancy Alvarado is the volunteer founder of </b><span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://brickstobread.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>Bricks to Bread International</b></a></span></span><b>, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps build brick ovens for Central American women seeking a sustainable source of income.</b> Bricks to Bread fosters community, economic stability for women and their families, and a global connection as teams of volunteers collaborate with Costa Rican and Honduran entrepreneurs building their bakery businesses.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><div class="FullQuote" > <blockquote > I hope I can inspire others to know that you can. You can find your passion, serve and give back to our community, both locally and internationally. I hope that my demonstration of really shooting for something, shooting for the stars, empowers other experienced adults to find their passion and serve because it has been an opportunity to fulfill my adult life. </blockquote> <div class="FullQuote-attribution" >Nancy Alvarado</div> </div></div> </div><p>Nancy's dedication to service began as a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 1990s, when she worked in the rural village of San Marcos de Cutris, Costa Rica. In 2012, she returned to visit the families she had served while in the Peace Corps. One family confided in Nancy about their struggle with extreme poverty. Recognizing the kitchen skills and determination of this mother and daughter, Nancy leveraged her background in finance and business development to raise funds and build a brick bread oven, kitchen, and shelter with the family. This initiative quickly transformed their lives, enabling them to sell hundreds of baked goods and earn significant income which led to financial independence. The brick oven became a community hub, fostering social connections to gather and share coffee, bread and camaraderie.<br><br>Driven by the success of this project, Nancy founded Bricks to Bread in 2016. The nonprofit now supports 20 bakery oven projects, benefiting 265 women and their families. The program, which adds five to six oven projects a year, offers financial, intellectual, and emotional resources, along with leadership and business training.<br></p><div class="Enhancement" > <div class="Enhancement-item"><div class="FullQuote" > <blockquote > Bricks to Bread truly came out of a love and passion of serving, from the joy that I received supporting women and families while I was in the Peace Corps. It was something that I couldn't let go of, so I brought it to life with Bricks to Bread. It has become that perfect vehicle that not only allows me to continue to serve in a field I'm so passionate about but also gives me the opportunity to bring that same joy to others as they serve and volunteer with us. </blockquote> <div class="FullQuote-attribution" >Nancy Alvarado</div> </div></div> </div><p>To learn more about Bricks to Bread, and how you can get involved, visit <span class="Enhancement" ><span class="Enhancement-item"><a class="Link" href="https://brickstobread.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">brickstobread.org</a></span></span>.</p></div> </div> </p></span> </div> </div> <p><i>This story is provided by AARP Minnesota. Visit the <a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/minnesota/" target="_blank">AARP Minnesota</a> page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.</i></p> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><script src="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.c85a242a55150cd195e494cd6e5b9c77.gz.js" async=""></script> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/resource/00000168-dd17-d487-a96e-df5fe3ee0000/styleguide/All.min.bfe6eb5a8301841feef3af4e9bd1e26d.gz.css"> <!-- bypass --> <style> a:focus, a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } h1.article-headline { margin: 0 0 1rem; } </style> <!-- <style> .Enhancement-item .Figure { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body ul { margin-bottom: 24px; } .RichTextArticleBody-body p{ margin: 12px 0; } .RichTextModule-items { clear: both; display: table; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 12px; } .VideoEnhancement>* { color: var(--primaryTextColor); font-size: 13px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; font-style: italic; background: #f0efed } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement>* { font-size:14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.47 } } .VideoEnhancement-title { padding: 20px } @media only screen and (min-width: 768px) { .VideoEnhancement-title { padding:30px } } .VideoEnhancement-player>* { position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25% } .VideoEnhancement iframe { border: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100% } [data-video-player] { display: block; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; margin: 0 auto; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="4x3"] { padding-bottom: 56.25%; } [data-video-player][data-aspect-ratio="16x9"] { padding-bottom: 56.25% } </style> --></div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024" href="/saint-paul-mn/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-NEWSSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Saint Paul</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Saint Paul</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-retirement-made-easy-webinar-111324-7wns4z22hc7.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-EMPLOYER-SECURE-CHOICE-RETIREMENT-WEBINAR">Employer Secure Choice Retirement Webinar</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">Online through Minneapolis Regional Chamber</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-p2p-payment-apps-virtual-mn-111324-vkn89ss9jfn.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-SENDING-MONEY-SAFELY-THROUGH-P2P-PAYMENT-APPS">Sending Money Safely Through P2P Payment Apps</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">Virtual</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mn-changes-to-medicare-for-2025-bloominton-mn-111424-tkn9pskkhfy.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CHANGES-TO-MEDICARE-FOR-2025-WITH-MN-SENIOR-LINKAGE-LINE">Changes to Medicare for 2025 with MN Senior LinkAge Line</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. CT</p> <p class="venue">AARP</p> <p class="loc">Bloomington, MN</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SAINTPAUL-MN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-SAINTPAUL-MN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Minnesota Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Minnesota Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP <br />in the Twin Cities</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:mnaarp@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mnaarp@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/minnesota/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Minnesota</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-minnesota/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-SAINTPAUL-MN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPMinnesota" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png" alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aarpmn" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png" alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarpminnesota/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible" name="description"/> <meta content="Volunteer, Founder, of, Bricks, Bread, Receives, Andrus, Award, Community, Service" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://states.aarp.org/minnesota/volunteer-founder-of-bricks-to-bread-receives-andrus-award-for-community-service" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/news/volunteer-founder-of-bricks-to-bread-receives-andrus-award-for-community-service-mn-2024-11-11.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3b4a70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/731x470+0+66/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fad%2Fff%2F409b589c43abac617663747bf87f%2F20210116-132645.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Volunteer Founder of Bricks to Bread Receives Andrus Award for Community Service"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Nancy Alvarado has been awarded the 2024 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3b4a70/2147483647/strip/true/crop/731x470+0+66/resize/420x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Faarp-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fstates%2Fad%2Fff%2F409b589c43abac617663747bf87f%2F20210116-132645.jpg"/> :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }' $title_for_layout = '{local_city_c}, {local_state} Happenings - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = ' :root { --primaryColor: #ff1e3c; --primaryTextColor: #2a2a2a; --linkTextColor: #1f66bd; --linkHoverColor: #1f66bd; --secondaryTextColor: #000000; --secondaryColor2: #000000; --secondaryColor3: #000000; --secondaryColor4: #000000; --secondaryColor5: #000000; --black: #000000; --white: #ffffff; --grey: #f0efed; --gridGutters: 30px; --modulePadding: 60px; --pageWidth: 86.11%; --maxPageWidth: 1240px; --horizontalAlignment: center; --fontFamily: 'Roboto', sans-serif; --headerBackgroundColor:#000000; --headerTextColor:#FFFFFF; --headerHeight:50px; --footerbackgroundColor:#000000; --footerTextColor:#918883; }' $highlighting = '<span class="highlighting">Highlighting Saint Paul</span>' $location = '<a href="/saint-paul-mn/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Twin Cities, MN</a>' $no_header = false $header_title = '<a href="/saint-paul-mn/happenings/">News Feed</a>' $header_subtitle = '' $isPR = false $navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse"> <div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div> <ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true"> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li> <li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/saint-paul-mn/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more"> <span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span> <ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu"> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li> <!-- <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/saint-paul-mn/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li> --> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav>' $header_custom = '' $breadcrumbs = array( (int) 0 => array( 'title' => 'News Feed', 'slug' => 'happenings' ) ) $row = array( 'title' => 'Back to News Feed', 'slug' => 'happenings' ) $i = (int) 0include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 BlogsController::display() - APP/Controller/BlogsController.php, line 81 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118