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Mary's Story
Pawcatuck Connecticut is a scenic coastal village
tucked snugly into the southeastern corner of Connecticut, along the
banks of the Pawcatuck River near Long Island Sound. For centuries, a tight-knit community of commercial
fishermen have lived in the village, and fished the waters of
the Atlantic. Many of the these fishing families are of
Portuguese descent, and to this day, the enclave retains many of
the rich customs and traditions of the old country.
Mary Soares is the daughter of a Portuguese immigrant who worked hard as a
commercial fisherman all his life. Mary's father maintained a strict home
environment for his daughter, who was not permitted to engage in
many of the social rituals common to high-school girls at the
time. When she was 16, Mary's married a Stonington fisherman who
had an excellent reputation as a skilled fisherman. Mary moved from the strict home of her father to an
equally strict home of her husband, who forbid her to work
outside the home, and severely limited her travel beyond her
home.
Mary soon had five children of her own to care
for, while her husband was at sea, often for weeks at a time
during the long fishing season. At this time, her mother, also
named Mary, began to teach her children the art of making
traditional Portuguese Sweet Bread, a delicate, cake-like bread
steeped in its own rich tradition.
Life Changes
As Mary perfected her grandmother's recipe, she
often shared her bread with friends and strangers alike. It
wasn't long before a local shop owner, impressed with the
bread's quality, asked for a few loaves to sell in her store.
Mary happily provided them, and the business was born. As Mary
raised her five children, she was able to make a bit of money
selling her bread to supplement the household income.
Mary soon became known about town as "The
Bread Lady", and her new-found independence created tension in
her marriage. Still, Mary honored her commitment to her husband
out of loyalty to her father, who introduced them. She continued
to bake her bread, and sell it wherever possible. As her
children grew and left home, Mary's mother passed away, and Mary
cared for her father until his death.
A New Beginning
Following her father's death, Mary divorced her
husband of 34 years, and suddenly found herself in the unusual
position of needing to support herself, and having no one
depending on her. Once again, it was Mary's bread that buoyed
her through this difficult time. She began in earnest to market
the bread, at the same time learning about the world around her
from which she had been shielded for so long. She learned to
navigate the local highways, as she learned about marketing,
product liability, nutrition labels, taxes, insurance,
procurement, and time management. The challenges were many, but
Mary persisted. A
call that changed everything As the
business grew, Mary began to look for help in the form of a
business loan. She was put in touch with the Community Economic
Development Fund (CEDF), an
organization that provides loans and counseling for micro
business owners in Connecticut. To her dismay, Mary was told
that CEDF was only authorized to provide loans in 53 of the
state's most economically disadvantaged towns, and Pawcatuck
residents were not eligible.
Mary then contacted her State Representative,
Diana Urban, to ask why CEDF couldn't make loans in Pawcatuck.
That call eventually led to Representative Urban introducing
legislation that would expand CEDF's reach to all towns
throughout the state. As of October 1, 2003, it is now possible
for qualified business owners to apply for loans, regardless of
which Connecticut town they're located in. Mary's call was the
catalyst for legislation that has benefited countless
entrepreneurs across the State. On the day the legislation went
into effect, Mary stood before a large crowd of press and
business owners to deliver a speech that inspired many. Mary's
transformation from housewife to business owner and advocate was
complete.
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