EDITOR’S NOTE: Happy National Pizza Month! This October, we are celebrating America’s favorite food and the people who make it by featuring pizzerias that give back to their communities.
Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage
Boulder, Colorado
thepizzagarage.com
In an expensive town like Boulder, Colorado, the discrepancy between the haves and the have-nots is vast. Audrey Kelly of Jane’s Pizza Garage helps to bridge that gap by donating to Harvest of Hope Pantry.
“As a long time pantry partner, Audrey Jane’s consistent food donations are some of our most popular items for those who rely on us for daily grab-and-go food,” Harvest of Hope says. “Their commitment to supporting the pantry with weekly donations demonstrates how much they care about feeding the Boulder community.”
Kelly’s family is active in other community initiatives as well, such as sponsoring the annual BolderBoulder 10K, a 46-year-old race that takes place every Memorial Day and ends in the University of Colorado’s Folsom Field.
Each year, the family-owned business donates flour to the Jewish Community Center for the Great Big Challah Bake, which brings together a multigenerational group learning to make the traditional braided bread.
Despite all this generosity, Kelly says her No. 1 priority when donating time and resources is education. “That’s where it begins, when the kids are little, and that grows with you,” she tells Pizza Today, adding that in addition to donating pizza and gift cards to schools, she enjoys teaching pizza-making classes to children.
Pizza-makers who are considering teaching the craft to children and adult students should take a page from Kelly’s book: “Have patience and let the kids take the lead on the direction the pizza will go,” she says. “As long as it can make it into the oven, it’s OK if it doesn’t look exactly like ‘a pizza.’ The whole point of the activity is to inspire creativity, independence and curiosity.”
To learn from Audrey Kelly yourself, read some of her latest articles for Pizza Today:
America’s Favorite Slice (Pepperoni)
Pizza’s Crowning Achievement (Frico)
How to Make – and Maintain – a Sourdough Starter
