Wildflower Bread Co. became the newest tenant to open at Park West shopping center in Peoria this week, and it marked the occasion by giving nearly $12,000 to local charities.

At a Tuesday ribbon cutting featuring members of the Glendale and Peoria chambers of commerce as well as a few dozen of the company’s employees — known as ‘breadheads’ — company founder and CEO Louis Basile opened his latest West Valley location at 9744 W. Northern Ave.

Basile said he and his wife, Tracy, have long been advocates for the Valley-based Wildflower to give back to the local community. With the new story opening, Basile said the company conducted “soft launches” as training days last week that sent proceeds to nonprofits.

The nonprofits receiving money were:

• Harvest Compassion Center, which calls itself a “food bank reimagined,” received $3,303.24;
• The Homeless ID Project, which works with the homeless get identification to help them on their journey to securing shelter, received $3,076.05;
• The Peoria Education Foundation, which provides scholarships and teacher grants to those in the Peoria Unified School District, received $2,178.98;
• Homeward Bound, which works with homeless families around the Valley, received $1,663.79;
• Moon Valley Women’s Club in Phoenix received $1,663.79.

Basile said the company has supported local nonprofits for more than a decade since founding he Wildflower Cares Program. It has given support 2,133 organizations and has donated $5.1 million worth of leftover bread and bakery items.