Newton woman baking, giving out bread

People who know 83-year-old Newton resident Linda Campbell might have already been on the receiving end of one of her homemade loaves of bread.

She has been making loaves of bread since she got her first kitchen, which she thought was when she was about 22. Originally from New Jersey, Campbell has called Newton home since 1957.

“I like to cook. I like to garden. I like to read. I like to knit. I like people,” Campbell said.

Since the coronavirus lockdown started, Campbell decided to bake bread for herself, mostly because she needed some. Now, she is moving into the eighth week of baking bread and giving it to people she knows. It usually goes to someone who has done something nice for her or other people she has known for years.

“I kept one loaf for myself and gave the rest away and it felt so good. People were so delighted that I thought, I will do that again tomorrow,” she said.

To not have close contact with people, Campbell said she bakes the small loaves, about 12 ounces each, puts it in a paper bag and delivers it to the front step letting people know the bread has been delivered so they can retrieve it.

“I choose willy nilly. Mostly people I know, people from church, people that I’m friends with,” she said.

Campbell said it is important for people to do nice things for others during these hard times. There are many ways to do it, whether it is making videos or baking bread, like Campbell does.

“I do it for something to do and because it makes me feel good to do it and I hope it makes people feel good to get a loaf of bread,” she said.

One important distinction Campbell wanted to make was she isn’t making the bread and selling it. Although she said some people have said thank you by bringing her baked cookies or given her small gifts like refrigerator magnets or thank you notes.

“I’m giving it to people that I want to give a smile to,” she said.

While Campbell has been doing this five days a week for about eight weeks, she doesn’t plan to stop any time soon, except the for the occasional day off. She said people do give occasionally her flour every once in a while.

“Guess what that means? You get a loaf of bread,” Campbell said with a laugh.

Contact Dustin Teays at 641-792-3121 ext. 6533 or dteays@newtondailynews.com