Photo / David Dostie
Victoria Abbott is the new executive director of the Bread of Life Ministries in Augusta.
Updated: September 15, 2022
Augusta nonprofit names new leader, honors founder
Provided photo
Victoria Abbott, left, executive director of the Bread of Life Ministries, walks to the podium at Wednesday's event in Augusta with the organization's founder, Carolyn Neighoff.
Bread of Life Ministries, an Augusta-based nonprofit that feeds the hungry and provides safe shelter to those in need, has named Victoria Abbott as its new executive director.
The Augusta native is involved in several community organizations. She is president of the Augusta Downtown Alliance, president of the Augusta Rotary Club and an advisor with the Olympia Snowe Women's Leadership Institute.
While Abbott started her new role at Bread of Life several months ago, the appointment has not been made public until now. She succeeded John Richardson in the role.
The organization, whose roots go back more than 35 years, started as a soup kitchen opened by Carolyn Neighoff. She stepped out of an official role at the organization in 2008 and was honored for her service at an event on Wednesday.
Abbott, whose appointment was made public at the same event, said she was inspired to get involved in Bread of Life by Neighoff, who had been her field hockey coach in high school.
"Now as executive director, I want to help carry on her legacy," Abbott said.
When the soup kitchen first opened on Sept. 10, 1984, it served meals for 37 people. Today, it serves more than 100 people per day, a number that continues to rise along with inflation. Its mission has grown over the years.
"The short-term goal was, 'Let's have some fellowship and food,' and that took care of one need," Neighoff said. "Then the longer-term goal was, 'People need a place to stay,' because you can feed them, but if people don't have a roof over their heads, you're not going to be able to change their lives."
Bread of Life Ministries, a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit, employs 15 people and has an annual budget of $4.6 million.
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