By Tim Harfmann
Edward Mafoud is on a roll as the co-owner of Damascus Bakery in Downtown Brooklyn.
A third-generation baker, his grandfather started the business in 1930.
“The bakery business is in my veins, it’s part of my blood, my genetic makeup,” he explained.
From pita and pizza crusts to flatbreads and mini stuffed bagels, the Brooklyn factory pumps out tens of thousands of loaves every hour.
This week, Ed will receive a sweet treat, a special honor from Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio at the annual Bishop DiMarzio Golf Classic Thursday.
The gathering raises money for a cause, while honoring organizations and individuals for dedication to their communities.
Ed is being honored not for kneading, but meeting a need. He’s Chairman of the Saint Nicholas Home, an assisted living facility in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
“I don’t believe I deserve the honor, but putting that to one side; it means everything. It means I lived a life that’s true to the community,” Ed said.
His parents co-founded the home where nearly 70 elderly residents currently receive 24/7 care.
“It’s always worth it when you look into the eyes of these senior citizens that they know you’re doing everything in your power to help them, to give them a quality of life,” he said.
Seventy-one-year-old Barbara Foresti has been living at the home for 14 years.
“I think Ed Mafoud is a wonderful man. He’s been chairman for a long time, and anything we’ve asked him, he’s always said ‘yes,’” she recalled.
Ed, who is a Maronite Catholic living in Staten Island, said just like the yeast in his dough, his faith continues to rise.
“I talk to Jesus Christ all the time, and I say, ‘What is your plan for me? What have I done? What haven’t I done?”
What he has done is be there for his community, earning him the high honor from Bishop DiMarzio.