Dream Builder's Breakfast to honor Catholic Community Services advocates in northern Utah

Friday, Mar. 27, 2015

OGDEN — Each year, Catholic Community Services of Northern Utah hosts the Dream Builder’s Breakfast, which “recognizes those in our community who work to make a difference in the lives of those most in need,” said Danielle Stamos, CCS coordinator of public relations and marketing.

“The people we choose to honor at the breakfast each year exemplify our mission of practicing Gospel values and working together for the betterment of the community in northern Utah,” she added. “Not only are we able to pay tribute to these incredible people who are forging a path for helping those in need, but we’re also able to shine a light on and raise awareness for those in need and for the issues that are taking place in our community, specifically for the hunger that’s becoming a challenge in the Weber County area.”

In Ogden, CCS operates the Joyce Hansen Hall Food Bank, which is the largest food pantry in Utah. The amount of groceries served each day through the food bank is the equivalent of 7,200 meals; more than 50 percent of the food that is being distributed through charitable organizations in northern Utah, Stamos said.

Nationally, 1 in 5 children faces food insecurity; in Weber County that statistic is closer to 1 in 4 children, Stamos said. 

One new program through the food bank is the Bridging the Gap program, which offers a weekend bag of groceries to school-aged children so they will have food even when they don’t receive lunch at school.

One of those credited with getting the Bridging the Gap program started is being honored at the Dream Builder’s Breakfast.

David James from KUTV will receive the Philanthropist of the Year award. 

The sportscaster “has this calling, this pull toward the hunger issues going on in Utah,” Stamos said. In addition to supporting the SouperBowl campaign, which collects food during Super Bowl weekend, James connected CCS with Arby’s Restaurant Group, which was looking for a project in Utah to alleviate children’s hunger in children, Stamos said; Arby’s now is the main financial supporter of the Bridging the Gap program.

Others being honored this year are Youth Group – OWATC Youth Build, Community Advocate – Yvonne Coiner, and Community Partner – Walmart. A special tribute will be given to the Abbey of Our Lady of the Holy Trinity.

“A lot of people don’t know what great supporters they are of us,” Stamos said, adding that the Trappist monks donate regularly to CCS, “but more than that, they are just always being aware of the needs in the community and supporting them.”

The Dream Builder’s Breakfast is the only fundraiser that CCS hosts in northern Utah to help raise money to continue its work. This year, Mike Schultz of Castle Creek Homes is offering a matching grant of $20,000 for donations collected at the breakfast. 

In addition, Benedictine Sister Stephanie Mongeon will donate two of her famous Bundt cakes to be auctioned; at the last fundraiser for which she offered the Bundt cakes, they went for more than $1,000 each.

“We’re really excited to have that as part of the breakfast,” Stamos said.

WHAT: CCS Northern Utah Dream Builder’s Breakfast

WHEN: Wednesday, April 15, 7-9 a.m.

WHERE: Ogden Eccles Conference Center, 2415 Washington Blvd., Ogden

RSVP to Maresha Bosgieter at mbosgieter@ccsutah.org or

801-428-1053.