Rosie Carnivale and Abby Stovern stand in front of the Bricks to Bread bread oven in St. Louis Park. The oven serves as a visual learning tool and reminder of the group’s mission. Photo: Chris Emeott
Two local girls help build a brick oven in Costa Rica for a family in need.
During the summer before high school, students might fill their days in a host of ways: attending captains’ practices, meeting up with friends, taking classes or even working. But current freshman at Orono High School Abby Stovern of Orono and Rosie Carnivale of Independence embarked on a unique adventure last June—and it included bread, bricks and befriending a family in Costa Rica.
Accompanied by their mothers, April Stovern and Kate Carnivale, and Excelsior native and 1985 graduate of Minnetonka High School Nancy Alvarado, founder and president of the Minnesota nonprofit Bricks to Bread, the girls spent 10 days in Costa Rica, building a brick oven from the ground up—and they’d do it again in a heartbeat. “It was a really eye-opening experience, especially at such a young age,” Rosie says.
While in Costa Rica, Rosie Carnivale and Abby Stovern build an oven, which will be heavily used long after they return home to Minnesota. Photo: April Stovern
Bricks to Bread provides impoverished families in South America with a source of income by way of ownership of a brick oven for baking bread and other baked or dried food items. The group sends out teams of up to 14 volunteers to build each brick oven, and the families work to support themselves by selling products prepared out of the oven.
Recipients are chosen through the help of in-country coordinators who work with service programs to identify families in financial need. Since it was founded in 2016, Bricks to Bread has built 17 ovens in Costa Rica, one in Honduras and another in St. Louis Park, which is used for fundraising purposes and offers a great way to illustrate the group’s mission to potential volunteers and donors.
Xiomara is ready to bake her goods while using the oven, which was built with the help of Rosie Carnivale and Abby Stovern. Photo: Kate Carnivale
These builds aren’t cheap—the materials for an oven alone cost $3,500. Alvarado’s teams also construct industrial kitchen structures in addition to the ovens and provide seed funding to support what it takes to get the operations going.
To ensure a strong start, the nonprofit provides support to the set ups for up to three years after they’re built. Money to support the efforts comes from donations, sponsors and fundraisers, including Oktoberfiesta with unlimited soft pretzels—hot from the Bricks to Bread oven—grilled brats, craft beer, other spirits, dessert and more. And biweekly bread sales out of the St. Louis Park location also add to the fundraising.
Each stage in the building process takes many hands and attention to detail. Photo: April Stovern
For their part, Abby, 15, and Rosie, 14, raised $10,000 to fund their build. Some of that money came from baking and selling bread baked in the St. Louis Park oven, and they also held a pizza party, which was attended by family and friends.
While in Costa Rica, when they weren’t building the oven, Abby, Rosie and their mothers spent time with the family that would receive the fruit of their efforts. The family included Xiomara and her husband, José, and their children Maria, 12; Junior, 10; Alex, 8; and Yumara, 2. While there was a language barrier, the group was still able to communicate enough to play cards and other games together. Each day, Abby and Rosie brought gifts for the children, including bubbles, candy, coloring books, friendship bracelet materials and glow sticks.
Photo: Kate Carnivale
Mealtimes were shared in the family’s home, the group taking turns preparing food. “The joy of watching this family interact with each other and with us was so incredible to watch,” Kate says. Additionally, Abby and Rosie visited Maria’s English class, and students asked the girls (in English!) about their favorite animals, colors and food. In kind, they did their best to respond in Spanish.
With all the good work completed and friendships established, it came time for Abby, Rosie and their mothers to return to Minnesota. “Saying goodbye to the family was really hard,” Abby says. “By the time we left [Costa Rica], it felt like we had known [Xiomara’s family] for years,” April says. “We have this lifelong friendship.” Thankfully, technology allows for easy communication among the trip’s volunteers, including some of Alvarado’s permanent volunteers in Costa Rica, via a group chat with Xiomara and José, who share photographs of goods they’re baking.
Eager appetites at mealtime. Photo: April Stovern
Notably, the program’s positive effects go far beyond creating a steady income for families; they can impact the health and wellness of the recipients of the ovens. Before she owned a brick oven, Xiomara baked food for her family, using a rudimentary structure. It produced toxic fumes, which were unhealthy for not only Xiomara, but the family, too.
Women in impoverished communities experience a disproportionately high risk of lung disease, which can be caused by the inhalation of toxic fumes produced by makeshift ovens like Xiomara’s, according to the World Health Organization. Bricks to Bread strives to combat that health risk by providing properly ventilated ovens.
Rosie Carnivale and Abby Stovern enjoy some downtime with Junior, Alex and Yumara.
What’s more, the disadvantaged communities where Bricks to Bread builds its ovens are often food deserts, meaning there is limited availability of healthy foods for the people who live there, Alvarado notes. With the help of these ovens, however, communities gain easier access to food.
There are other encouraging byproducts of the program. Alvarado says that by baking and selling their food, women, specifically, gain leadership skills, which can give rise to their confidence and move them to join groups, such as a city or town council. That example of empowerment can be witnessed by another group of emerging businesswomen. “The women become wonderful role models for the young girls in their communities,” Alvarado says.
Kate Carnivale, Nancy Alvarado and April Stovern share a happy moment. Photo: Kate Carnivale
Speaking of young girls in a community, Abby and Rosie remain involved with Bricks to Bread, baking and participating locally. To learn more about donating or volunteering, visit brickstobread.org.
Bricks to Bread
3870 Yosemite Ave. S., St. Louis Park; info@brickstobread.org
Facebook: Bricks to Bread
Instagram: @brickstobreadorg
