Tell us about yourself and your family:
I have two adult children, and a five month old Maltese puppy, Sasha, who brings joy to me and wherever she goes in Rye!
I have returned to Rye after many years of living in New York City. I am a Managing Director at Abernathy MacGregor and a crisis management expert.
How are you involved with Bread of Life? How did you get started?
My children graduated from Rye High School and it was my daughter who encouraged me to look for ways to use my daily baking for the greater good. That was the day I saw the sign on Boston Post Road for Bread of Life. They welcomed my offer of three French baguettes each weekday. It has been over a year now. I am in awe of their service and while three baguettes each day is not much, they have encouraged me that even a small contribution is meaningful to them and to those who receive the bread.
Why do you continue? What are you learning in the process?
There is something new to learn each day, tweaking the bread and assessing the results. That is something we encourage in my whole extended family. Even the little ones try the bread and provide a review.
In returning to Rye, it has been a special pleasure to become more involved with the community. I am a new Board member of Rye Community Synagogue, and sing with their choir, as well as the Fairfield Chorale. It is a honor to continue a family tradition, as my 91-year old mother Lee Katz had her (Zoom) Bat Mitzvah at the Synagogue last year at the height of covid.
Anything else you'd like to share with us?
I often tell those in my field that in order to do this intense work, one must have other interests as well. I write crime fiction under the pen name Rona Bell. One of my short stories, "Prey of New York," received special mention in Otto Penzler and Louise Penny's "Best American Mystery Stories 2018," published by Houghton Mifflin.
Do you have an Instagram account?
Some of my bread makes it into Rona Bell's Instagram account, RonabellRonaBell.