Last week, my family and I attempted to bake oatmeal chocolate chip cookies similar to the ones sold at Chick-fil-A. Unfortunately, we ran into several issues, such as runny batter, cookies largely expanding and touching each other during the bake, and the sweet treat not coming off of the cookie sheet. However, after a few trial-and-error rounds of taste-testing, baking, and cleaning off the pan, we eventually found success and enjoyed delicious cookies that afternoon.  

Thankfully, the bakers at Lucy J’s Bakery have skills that far transcend my family and I’s pseudo-expertise and use their love for baking to serve the community well. From the bakery’s conception to the opening of a storefront location in September 2018, owners Josh and Tracy Burgess are dedicated to, “providing job training and employment with living wages for parents who are working to transition out of homelessness.” Lucy J’s Bakery partners with Dorothy Day House to employ residents at $15.00 per hour, equip them with training and a stable work environment, and give them a health plan through Church Health. Beyond offering tasty treats such as cupcakes, croissants, tarts, and cookies to visitors of Crosstown Concourse, Lucy J’s offers coffee on a “pay what you can scale,” with proceeds benefiting Dorothy Day House.  

During our afternoon serving at the bakery, fellow volunteer Melisha Cooper and I ran the storefront while the bakers on staff prepared desserts in the kitchen. We greeted customers, packaged the breads and treats requested, checked guests out, and made sure that the counters and tables remained clean and orderly. Even further, during gaps in foot traffic during the afternoon, Cooper and I scooped freshly-made cookie dough onto large pans to later be baked and sold. 

While scooping cookie dough and chatting, Cooper expounded upon the enthusiasm behind her service work. After getting her culinary certification from Dorothy Day House, she was looking for opportunities to further develop her cooking and baking skills and to work in a people-centered environment. Cooper did a Google search for volunteer events, discovered the Volunteer Odyssey website, created a VolunteerCompass account in a few simple steps, and registered to serve with Lucy J’s. 

Though she has only been volunteering with Lucy J’s Bakery for a few short weeks, Cooper asserted, “Cooking-wise, I have gotten more experience than what I had already, and socially, I have gotten the chance to speak with people from cultures and backgrounds different than mine.” Because she is looking to become employed at an enterprise similar to Lucy J’s, Cooper expressed her gratitude that VolunteerCompass quickly and easily connected her with the service opportunity. While asserting that first and foremost “volunteering is about helping the community,” she was thankful for the deeper knowledge gained through her service that she can now take to future places of employment. 

Towards the event of my volunteer shift, owner Josh Burgess offered to show Cooper and I a few key steps in the bakery’s croissant-making process. Amidst grating butter, rolling dough, and creating puffs of flour, Burgess shared what drives his work, even when he has lengthy shifts or a sizable list of baked orders to fulfill. He pointed us towards the following words of Father Gregory Boyle: “Here is what we seek: a compassion that can stand in awe of what the poor have to carry rather than stand in judgement of how they carry it.” Burgess’ respect for the strength and resilience of those facing poverty and homelessness inspires his work and serves as a reminder that the impact of Lucy J’s extends far beyond the bakery’s four walls. When volunteers serve with the organization, they are playing a pivotal role in furthering the reach of the bakery to more Crosstown Concourse shoppers and Dorothy Day House residents.

Whether you prefer to work in a kitchen setting to handcraft your own treats or simply buy them at a bakery, there is a place for you to serve, grow, and learn at Lucy J’s Bakery. To sign up for a volunteer shift there or at numerous other non-profit organizations, go to www.volunteercompass.com.