Commuter

Most Tuesdays you can find Amy in the Bread+Belonging kitchen before dinner. She is a warm and bubbly presence, joyfully helping chop veggies, checking up on everyone’s day, or welcoming other students who arrive early to dinner. Amy loves anime, manga, and all things creative and crafty. She came to CU Boulder to study neuroscience and stay close to her family, but a challenging first year raised a lot of big questions and led her to move to a major in business. 

As a commuter student who lives thirty minutes away, Amy struggled to make friends and feel connected on campus. “Before I came to Bread+Belonging, school was just a building; it was just a place where I learned, and then I left,” Amy recalls, “I did not want to stay.” She tried joining a sorority, and, though it wasn’t the right fit for her, fulfilling the sorority’s volunteer requirement introduced her to Bread+Belonging. Because she often feels shy with new people, working alongside other students in the kitchen helped her slowly warm up to people, make friends, and feel more at home in the community. Now, she comes early to St. Aidan’s most Tuesdays after class and is a regular part of the B+B kitchen team. 

At Bread+Belonging, Amy discovered the caring, consistent community she was looking for. “I found a place I belong,” she shares joyfully, “It just feels really good to have a place where people know my name and like me, and they miss me when I’m gone, and I miss them when they're gone!” She’s built strong friendships that extend beyond Bread+Belonging, and she is grateful for friends who introduce her to new things she might not otherwise have tried, like going to the campus gym. Because of Bread+Belonging, college isn’t just a place to learn and then leave anymore for Amy. It’s become a place of connection, friendship, and authentic community. 

Your generous support for Bread+Belonging makes it possible for students like Amy to have a home on campus. Thank you for being a part of this ministry with us!