Three Brothers Bakery's Mitzvah Fund gives back to community

HOUSTON, TX (KTRK) -- As we've previously reported, Three Brothers Bakery has been through a lot over the last decade. They've endured multiple natural disasters and, more recently, they saw a sharp decline in business due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We call ourselves the king and queen of disasters," says Janice Jucker, who co-owns Three Brothers with her husband, Bobby. "We've been through four floods, a fire and a hurricane."

The Juckers weren't sure where the pandemic would take them, but ABC13 and Localish ran a story on them in March. The results provided a boost to their business, which has been in Houston since 1949.

"It's kept us alive," said Janice.

Janice and Bobby said they also started receiving donations from individuals in the community once that story aired, which led them to establish the Three Brothers Bakery Mitzvah Fund.

"If you send money for us to make baked goods for someone in need, it keeps our team employed and you're feeding someone," said Janice.

The money is put into wholesale accounts, which was created by Three Brothers as a result of this fund. The benefactors of those accounts are the Emergency Aid Coalition, which provides food and clothes to individuals in need, Feed The Front Line HTX, which buys meals from local restaurants and takes them to healthcare workers, and Jewish Family Service, which gives resources to Houston's Jewish community.

"They have literally provided the bread of life for people who are living in desperate situations," said Jean West Evans of the Emergency Aid Coalition.

Funds are also used to provide baked goods to Jay Hamburger, a local resident who has been feeding the homeless in Houston for decades.

"For 30 years, Three Brothers has been giving me food for the homeless," said Hamburger. "They're good human beings."

Recently, thanks to a donation from the Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas, the Texas Restaurant Relief Fund gave the bakery $2,500. Individuals can also donate to the fund by going to 3BrothersBakery.com.

"We want to keep our friendly institutions alive," said Naomi Rosborough, who donated to the fund. "As well as give to others."