Panera Bread of Chelmsford recently presented a check for $7,800 to its local charity partner, House of Hope, Inc. The money, raised through Panera’s operation Dough-Nation® program, will help House of Hope fulfill their mission to advocate and care for homeless families.

“House of Hope is always so thankful for the continuous support that Panera Bread in Chelmsford provides,” said Jennifer Sharkey, Assistant Director of Business & Development at House of Hope. “This generous donation enables us to better serve families in shelter and helps us to transition children and parents out of homelessness.”

The Chelmsford bakery-cafe originally collected $3,900 from customers through the in-store Operation Dough-Nation® canisters, which are displayed near the registers in each Panera Bread bakery-cafe. Panera then matched its customer donations dollar for dollar, bringing the total donation to $7,800.

“In difficult economic times, it’s important for a community to come together and provide help to those in need,” said Mitchell Roberts, franchise co-owner of Panera Bread in Chelmsford. “Panera Bread is proud to join with our neighbors and support House of Hope as they continue to provide life changing services to the greater Chelmsford community.”