Together We Bake Empowerment Breakfast Returns Sept. 25

By Pat Miller

Alexandria, VA – In a small commercial kitchen, baking cookies and mixing granola are only part of the work.

At Together We Bake, an Alexandria-based nonprofit employment social enterprise, women learn food production, quality control, customer service and teamwork while building the confidence and credentials needed to pursue lasting employment. For many participants, the eight-week program becomes a turning point.

“Every woman deserves the opportunity to build a future filled with possibility,” said Tricia Allen, Together We Bake’s executive director. “We see that possibility every day.”

The organization will invite the community to see that work in action at its 2026 Empowerment Breakfast on Friday, Sept. 25. The annual breakfast, Together We Bake’s largest fundraiser of the year, will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Hilton Alexandria Old Town. Tickets and sponsorships are available through the organization’s event page.

Since 2012, Together We Bake has supported women across the Washington region who are navigating barriers to employment, including housing instability, justice involvement, recent immigration, recovery and major family transitions. More than 350 women have participated since the organization opened its doors.

The program is intentionally practical. Team Members gain hands-on experience in a working food business, learn workplace communication and digital skills, and can earn a nationally recognized ServSafe food-safety credential. No previous baking experience is required.

But the organization’s work goes beyond a résumé.

“Women who come to Together We Bake bring determination, resilience, creativity and life experience,” Allen said. “Our role is to create opportunities for their strengths to shine.”

Together We Bake reports that 80 percent of participants graduate from the program and that 70 percent secure employment within six months. All surveyed participants report increased confidence and readiness for their next step.

A Spring 2026 graduate described the experience simply: “I have been transformed.”

For some women, Allen said, transformation means a job. For others, it means discovering professional strengths, rebuilding confidence or recognizing a future that once felt out of reach.

The program also stays connected with graduates through career coaching, employer partnerships, alumni gatherings and referrals to resources. That sustained support matters, especially for women balancing work goals with caregiving, transportation challenges or other transitions.

Together We Bake itself grew from an Alexandria friendship. Co-founders Stephanie Wright, who had a social-work background, and Tricia Sabatini, who operated a home baking business, developed the idea while training together for the Marine Corps Marathon. They combined those strengths into a program where the sale of handmade products—including cookies and granola—helps support workforce training and women’s economic mobility. Together We Bake

“Employment is a key pathway to transformation,” Allen said. “When women thrive, families thrive—and when families thrive, communities flourish.”

IF YOU GO

What: Together We Bake 2026 Empowerment Breakfast
When: Friday, Sept. 25, 8–10 a.m.
Where: Hilton Alexandria Old Town, 1767 King St., Alexandria
Tickets and sponsorships: Available at Together We Bake’s Empowerment Breakfast page
Learn more: togetherwebake.org