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NEWBURYPORT, MA – November 2, 2009: The bread + butter project has announced its New England-wide expansion, including new partnerships with nonprofit food banks in each of the six New England states. The project, started just two months ago by a Newburyport family, is an online clothing business that promises to provide 50% of its profits to organizations that help feed the hungry. The Connecticut Food Bank, Good Shepherd Food-Bank in Maine, Greater Boston Food Bank in Massachusetts, New Hampshire Food Bank, Rhode Island Community Food Bank, and Vermont Foodbank will benefit from the sale of bread + butter products from November 2009 through March 2010, at which time the bread + butter project team hopes to expand nationally, helping feed hungry people across the country.

Starting with little more than a laptop computer and a desire to help, 12 year-old Katie O’Rourke and her 10 year-old sister, Emma, along with their parents Tom O’Rourke and Sue Tabb, began blogging and designing T-shirts in August. For the first two months, they used their website www.breadandbutterproject.com and companion e-store to raise awareness and money for the food pantry and meals program at Pettengill House, Inc. in Salisbury, MA. Now they are ready to take the next step – a step that will enable them to help more people.

“Our plan was to start locally, expand regionally, and then go national,” said Tom O’Rourke, “We’re using this experience to teach our daughters about how businesses can help people; show them that personal and charitable goals don’t have to be mutually exclusive; and challenge them to help us develop a unique brand and sustainable business model.” And the inspiration actually started with the kids. “Our daughters were upset by what they learned about hunger problems in school and in the media, and they wanted to do something,” said Tabb. “We started talking about the many possibilities, and this was an idea we could all agree on. It’s about raising money, but it’s also about raising awareness and drawing attention to the hunger problems confronting so many American families in a tough economy.”

Rather than establishing a separate charity, the family chose to work with existing nonprofit partners. “By partnering with large regional food banks, the bread + butter project can provide financial support for the organizations which are already doing an excellent job and are best positioned to help hungry people in each market,” said O’Rourke.

The bread + butter name is a reminder of the simple basics that many families have to go without during difficult economic times. And the family is confident that their clothing line, which includes basic products like T-shirts, sweatshirts and other accessories – all bearing the bread + butter signature and a logo with two girls, representing Katie and Emma – will appeal to many customers throughout New England and beyond. “We really hope people like the products and buy them, but we also hope they’ll be interested in the story behind the bread + butter project, and will want to help make a difference through our brand,” said Tabb. “We’re excited to see how far we can take this and how big of a difference we can make.”

The New England-wide expansion is timed to coincide with both the holiday shopping season and a time of year when people are thinking more about supporting charities. The bread + butter product line is currently available exclusively online at www.breadandbutterproject.com. Prices range from $15 - $45. You can also use the website to follow the O’Rourke family’s progress. Each member takes turns posting daily blog-style updates on the site.

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