+++ Over 71,877 meals served since July 2011 +++ Over 3,630,000 meals served since founding in 1983 +++

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Loaves and Fishes featured in Martinez News-Gazetter article

Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa was featured in the November 25th edition of the Martinez News-Gazette.  The article, Volunteers Offer Helping Hands, describes how mother and daughter teams from the National Charity League volunteered to help serve Loaves and Fishes annual Thanksgiving meal.

Click here to read the article.

Delicious and Nutritious Recipes for the Holidays

Click here for deliciously simple recipes for healthy dishes like Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Spread, Caramelized Butternut Squash, Sautéed Swiss Chard and Amazing Apple Crisp to spruce up your holiday menu. These side dishes are a wonderful way to add color to your table using fruits and veggies in season and available locally. Enjoy!


Hunger in Contra Costa County

What’s it like to go to bed hungry? Have you ever had to tell your family that there is not enough food to go around? How do you feed a family for a month, when your paycheck is barely enough to cover the rent? These are questions many families are wrestling with across the nation and in Contra Costa County. Some of us will never experience hunger, but for many it’s a daily reality. Forty-nine million or 15% of Americans struggle with hunger each year. Hunger is around us every day. The hungry include children in our neighborhood schools, coworkers and neighbor. The number of people in need of food has increased over 46% since 2006, according to figures released by the United States Department of Agriculture in 2009. That means 17.2 million children are at risk of experiencing hunger at some point this year.

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Dick and Rosemary Thull are the winners of the Marriott Week in Newport Beach

Dear Loaves & Fishes Supporters,
 
I am happy to announce that Dick and Rosemary Thull are the winners of the Marriott Week in Newport Beach. Dick and Rosemary are long time volunteers and supporters of Loaves & Fishes and we appreciate all of their ongoing support. Thank you to everyone who participated.  We raised $1,500 to support our mission in feeding the hungry.
 
Warmest Regards,
David Gerson

Executive Director, Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa


What's on Our Plate?

In June, the USDA revealed the new “My Plate” icon at the left to replace the former “Food Guide Pyramid” that is used as a tool to educate the public about healthy eating.  This new graphic is a simple way to remind us of two of the most important concepts of eating healthy – eat a variety of foods bursting with deep, rich color and fill half of your plate at any meal or snack with vegetables and fruits.

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Loaves and Fishes welcomes new Executive Director David Gerson

David Gerson has been appointed as the new Executive Director of Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa effective Monday, July 11th.
 
David starts his leadership role as Loaves and Fishes kicks off its 2011/2012 fiscal year.  David's strong business background and commitment to the community make him uniquely suited to lead the agency as the increasing demand for our services continues to reflect the lingering economic challenges in Contra Costa County.

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Loaves and Fishes meeting the needs of the Pittsburg community

This was Richard, Christina, and 4 year old Hannah’s fourth visit to Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa's Pittsburg dining room. People in the community told the Black family about Loaves and Fishes.  Christina said that the food is so good, that coming to Loaves and Fishes “feels like a restaurant experience”.  Christina went on to say, “the staff, and volunteers are polite, and friendly, and have a loving manner, it is a great, positive atmosphere.” Richard said that he has been out of work for several months now, and that it has been very hard to make ends meet. Richard previously worked in the restaurant industry, and appreciates the excellent food that Loaves and Fishes serves in a wonderful atmosphere. The Blacks said they will definitely be coming to Loaves and Fishes on a regular basis because times are very hard right now for them.


Loaves and Fishes featured in Antioch Rotary Spinning Wheel

Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa's presentation to the Antioch Rotary was featured in the 3/31 issue of the Antioch Rotary newsletter: The Spinning Wheel.

Click here to see the article.


New Healthy Eating Guidelines

Earlier this year, the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) and DHHS (Department of Health and Human Services) unveiled the 2010 Dietary Guidelines (DGA) to help Americans make healthier food choices and confront the obesity epidemic. The DGA provides healthy eating advice that promotes good health and disease prevention for healthy Americans ages 2 and older.

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Debra's story

Debra is on a fixed income, and recently became homeless. She heard about Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa through family members. She eats at Loaves and Fishes five times per week, and Loaves and Fishes is the only place she can get a hot meal. She cannot use groceries or a food pantry because she is homeless, so she has no way to fix a meal or store food.

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Over 3,500,000 meals served!!!

On Monday January 17th, Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa (LFCC) achieved a historic milestone by serving its 3,500,000 meal!!! Loaves and Fishes humble beginnings began in 1983, feeding the hungry in the basement of St. Peter Martyr Catholic Church in Pittsburg.  LFCC has now grown to serve free hot nutritious meals from five dining rooms in Martinez, Antioch, Oakley, Bay Point, and Pittsburg. Loaves and Fishes also provides meals to partners Mental Health Concerns and Fresh Start.

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Kim, daughter, and two grandchildren love the hot food at Loaves and Fishes - St. Vincent de Paul

Kim, her 10 year old daughter, Jessica, and two grandchildren age 3, and age 1, eat at the Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa (LFCC) Pittsburg dining room at least 3 times per week. She works part time, and her husband was injured and is unable to work right now.

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A Legacy to Remember: Peggy Raisbeck

Margaret "Peggy" Scott Raisbeck - April 4, 1940 - August 31, 2011

Peggy Raisbeck was born in New York City, the daughter of the late H. Lee Scott and Mary Anna Laycock. She passed away peacefully in her home, with her loving family around her, after a courageous and inspirational three year battle with Cancer. She leaves behind a legacy of service, caring, and a zest for life that few can match. After moving to Danville, CA in 1987, she joined the local chapter of Loaves and Fishes, and organized the first soup kitchen in Concord. She helped run this kitchen for 15 years, feeding thousands of homeless and underprivileged families. "She didn't just serve food," Peter Raisbeck said. "She'd prepare and everything, but then when the people started coming in, she wanted to go sit at the tables and talk with them, find out what are you doing here? How did you get here? Where do you live? She had a great knack for finding people with potential who had an unfortunate set of circumstances. And she'd help them.

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Thank You to our St. Joan of Arc Volunteers!

Every fourth Friday of the month Marty Pfeiffer and her group of St. Joan of Arc members and friends come to the Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa Pittsburg Dining Room to volunteer their services. They are a fun, friendly group who are there to serve and help others. This group has been volunteering at Loaves and Fishes since the mid 1980’s! They started back when Loaves and Fishes was serving meals at St. Michael’s in Concord and they were cooking the meals themselves. Hal, Eileen and Karen are retired Delta Airline employees and have been pals for years. Thank you Marty, Hal, Eileen, Katy, Karen and Joe for being such a loyal, wonderful group!


Oakley Volunteers Mary Johannes and Sharon Ramos

Volunteers Mary Johannes and Sharon Ramos are very special women. Each week they volunteer at Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa in Oakley at the Redman-Pocahantas Hall. Mary says by volunteering she can do something to help others, instead of sitting home alone moping! Sharon believes that “a helping hand goes a long way” and brings special treats to the clients and volunteers like pizza and holiday decorations. Mary and Sharon, along with Debbie Robertson, our awesome Oakley dining room manager and the other volunteers, make such a difference with their kindness and positive energy.


Second Annual Loaves and Fishes Volunteer Recognition Party

Delicious food and plenty of it, fantastic raffle prizes, tote-bag favors, balloons and the greatest guest list in Contra Costa County--and what party could that be?  Why the very successful Second Annual Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa Volunteer Appreciation Party, "We've Come a Long Way!", held on May 18th at St. Andrew's Church beautiful Celebration Center. Over 150+ wonderful Loaves and Fishes volunteers turned out to enjoy the festivities. Many thanks to all who helped the Loaves and Fishes Board of Directors put on the event: Cindy Skinner, our mistress of ceremonies who kept the program lively; Phil Bennett, Starship keyboardist, who provided background music; Ben Huddleston and Scott Ollson  who did so many things to make the day a success, and to the many donors of our fantastic door prizes.  Thanks again to our wonderful volunteers!

Click here to see all the pictures from the party!


Barbara Watkins - Client and Volunteer

Barbara found the Pittsburg Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa (LFCC) dining room in September 2010 when she was walking and saw the LFCC sign for free hot lunches. She met the dining room manager, Debbie, and they discussed their Christian faith, bonding immediately.  Debbie invited Barbara to try the free hot and nutritious meal.

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Volunteer Driver Jim Simsonson

Five years ago, Jim Simsonson was reading the Contra Costa Times classified ads, something he never does actually, and saw an ad asking for volunteers at Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa. He has been volunteering with us ever since! Loaves and Fishes gets most of the food we serve from food donors like Safeway, Costco and Trader Joe’s and we rely on volunteer drivers to pick up the food and deliver it to our kitchens in Pittsburg and Martinez. Twice a week, Jim drives to Safeway in Martinez, loads up his van and then delivers the food to our kitchen at the First Baptist Church in Martinez.

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Recognizing an Antioch volunteer

Gary began volunteering in Antioch when a friend of his asked him to come and help at the Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa dining room in August 2008.  He enjoyed the experience, and now he volunteers every day.  He likes to help out at the Loaves and Fishes dining room to give back for what he has been given. Gary is a disabled Vietnam veteran. He lives across the street from the Antioch Loaves and Fishes Dining Room, where other disabled veterans live as well. He also has volunteered at the Pittsburg - Loaves and Fishes / Saint Vincent de Paul Dining Room when additional volunteers are needed. One of his hobbies is building furniture.


Volunteer Kitchen Chef Chris

Chris volunteers as a chef in the Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa (LFCC) catering kitchen twice a week. He is a graduate of the culinary arts program at Diablo Valley College.  The culinary program required him to obtain practical on-the-job experience off campus. He was not interested in working in a restaurant, and found the Loaves and Fishes catering kitchen through the LFCC volunteer orientation. He initially thought he would volunteer in the dining room, but due to his culinary skills, the Volunteer manager suggested that he volunteer in the catering kitchen. Chris lives near the Martinez Loaves and Fishes dining room, so he was familiar with the LFCC dining experience. He wanted to give back by volunteering his chef skills.

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Just like VW, Drivers Wanted

There is a special group of volunteers that work daily in support of the Loaves & Fishes of Contra Costa's (LFCC's) mission to feed the hungry: The Volunteer Driver. This volunteer opportunity is unlike any other. They are our supply line and our life line. The volunteer driver schedules one day or more each week to pick up food products from area businesses, like Costco, Trader Joes, Safeway, and Orowheat. They then load their cars, SUV’s or trucks and bring the donations to the LFCC central kitchen in Pittsburg. From there we produce over 800 meals a day for the hungry of Contra Costa.

If you have the time and would like to join the ranks of our volunteer drivers, please contact
Eleanor Bonner, our Director of Operations at 925-687-6760 or email her at eleanor@loavesfishescc.org


Whole Foods Market Lafayette Donates 5% of January 4, 2012 Revenues to Loaves and Fishes

Whole Foods Market Lafayette has graciously donated back 5% of its revenue, over $3,500, from January 4th, 2012 to Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa. Once a quarter, Whole Foods Market has a Community Support Day and contributes 5% of one day’s net sales to a non-profit organization. Loaves and Fishes was chosen to be the beneficiary for the first quarter of 2012.

Whole Foods Community Support DayThank you to Whole Foods Market Lafayette, and all that supported Loaves and Fishes by shopping at Whole Foods Market Lafayette on January 4th!

You can show your appreciation for Whole Foods Lafayette by "liking" them on Facebook. To "like" Whole Foods Lafayette, click here: 

Tow Trucks and Turkeys

2011 marked AAA’s 15th Consecutive year of donating fresh turkeys to many non-profits located in Northern California, Nevada and Utah.  This year they donated close to 10 tons of turkeys to 26 non-profits. This is impressive and very much appreciated by Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa. The Turkeys were delivered to Loaves & Fishes on November 10. Chef James Porter, Development Director Joleen Lafayette and driver Tim Mays were all there to greet AAA when they arrived with the truck load of turkeys. Two AAA Agents Kristy Kropa and Kathleen Ellis also joined in to help from the AAA Antioch Office. When the turkeys arrived they were put into the refrigerator and are now waiting to be prepared for our upcoming holiday meals.

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Grant J. Hunt Company joins Loaves and Fishes Food Partners

"Grant J. Hunt Company, Distributors of Fresh Fruit and Produce", has joined Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa as its newest "food partner".  The company donated 21 cases of apples this November which were immediately used in our daily fruit salad, as well as being distributed directly to our clients on the "free tables" at each location.  Maurice Protzen, a company partner and Lafayette resident, has become a member of the Lafayette 100 and is arranging for regular donations of fruits and vegetables to Loaves and Fishes.  We are expecting a shipment of potatoes in December.  GJ Hunt has been a distributor of high quality produce in the Bay Area for over 75 years and has offices in California, Oregon and Washington.  Thank you GJ Hunt and Maurice Protzen for helping those who are struggling with hunger.


Aidells Sausage Continues to Take Huge Bites Out of Hunger

During November, Aidells Sausage, a San Leandro based company, donated 2,000 pounds of sausage to Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa (LFCC).  This donation is in addition to 1,000 pounds of sausage donated in June, 1,800 pounds of sausage donated in February, and the 1,200 pounds of sausage donated in January. That's 6,000 pounds of sausage donated this year! That's a lot of sausage!!!

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A New Partner: Diablo Country Club Charitable Foundation

Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa is always excited to have a new partner supporting our mission of feeding the hungry. Recently, Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa received a $5,000 grant from The Diablo Country Club Charitable Foundation. The foundation is providing support to organizations that help individuals in need make a better life for themselves. The grant will be used to purchase food and supplies for our meal program. This grant is very much appreciated, especially in today’s economy when we are feeding so many people who are hungry.


Calling all Lafayette Residents - Join the Lafayette 100

Our new Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa Executive Director, David Gerson, is a long time Lafayette resident, community volunteer and member of the Lafayette School District Governing Board.  After joining us as Executive Director he realized that his own community was under represented on the agency’s donor list.  At the same time David joined our staff, Jay Lifson joined the Board.  Jay is also active in Lafayette and is currently the executive director of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce.  Together they decide to boldly approach their community and seek new donors.  Jay and David drafted an article highlighting LFCC mission, the increasing need for its services, their personal commitment to each donate a $1,000 to LFCC and seeking 98 more families to join them in funding LFCC’s mission of feeding the hungry in Contra County. The article was published on the front page of the September issue of “Lafayette Today”.

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EMC Corporation Hosts “Texas Holdem” Poker Tournament

EMC Corporation, a leading technology company, lent is support to Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa (LFCC) mission on October 4th by hosting a poker tournament at its Pleasanton campus. The event was a first for both EMC and LFCC, and was the brainchild of Jay Snyder, an EMC Vice President, who was hosting a multi-day sales training seminar and wanted to not only provide an evening of fun for his guests but also support a local non-profit.  Jay brought the poker tournament concept to David Gerson, a friend and our Executive Director, and the rest is history.  EMC provided a pre-tournament dinner for all 77 players and covered the cost of the Blue Dog Events, a local Walnut Creek company that specializes in running poker tournaments to benefit non-profit.  Several other companies, who sent their personnel for training, also supported the event by making direct contributions to LFCC.  The event raised over $8,500 and provided a fun evening for all those attending.  The top 9 finishers each won cash prizes as well as other donated items such as sporting event tickets and an IPad2.   The event was a lot of fun and a great fundraiser for LFCC.  Our thanks go out to Jay, EMC, the sponsors and all the players who made the night a success!!

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Loaves and Fishes receives $3,000 grant from Macy's

Thank you to Macy's for a $3,000 grant to Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa! Macy's, Inc. supports thousands of nonprofit organizations annually because they believe giving back is the right thing to do. It's a long-standing tradition and one that they are very proud of. Their employees also believe in giving back. Employees donated more than 122,000 hours of their personal time to community service.

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Creek Monkey Tap opening benefits Loaves and Fishes

Jim Blair the owner of Creek Monkey Tap, 611 Excobar, Martinez,CA,  generously donated over $1,300 from the soft opening of his brewery / restaurant to Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa in October 2011.

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GenOn Community Golf Benefit supports Loaves and Fishes

On Saturday, August 27th GenOn Energy held its 9th Annual Community Golf Benefit at Roddy Ranch Golf Club located in Antioch. The event was sold out with 144 golfers participating. All the proceeds from the event were donated to Loaves & Fishes of Contra Costa and Opportunity Junction. David Gerson, Loaves & Fishes’ Executive Director and Bob D’Elia a Board Member participated in the 4 man scramble.  The benefit included 18 holes of golf, lunch, prizes, and an awards banquet dinner. Loaves & Fishes received a donation of $8,900 which will be used to support its mission of feeding the hungry of Contra Costa County.

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Kara's Cupcakes donates prize winning desserts to Loaves and Fishes

For the last several months Loaves and Fishes has been picking up beautiful, delicious cupcakes from Kara’s Cupcakes located at 1388 North Main in Walnut Creek. Every Monday we pick up the cupcakes and deliver them to our dining rooms in Martinez, Bay Point, Antioch, Oakley and Pittsburg. It is a special treat for our clients to get such yummy desserts. We are serving more and more children in our dining rooms and these cupcakes delight them.

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Leave a Legacy to Loaves and Fishes

Has it really been 27 years that Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa has been feeding the hungry in your neighborhood and have served over 3.5 million meals to the hungry?  We can confidently say, “yes and we could not of done this without our volunteers and donors”.  We are so thankful for what we have done in the past, but we are also constantly looking ahead in the future.  Our mission, “to feed the hungry of Contra Costa” is permanently needed in our community. Can you help us ensure that the need will be met?  One simple way to do so is to designate a portion of your estate to help serve the needy in the future years to come. To learn more about how to support Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa through a will, trust, or other planned giving arrangement, please contact Joleen Lafayette, our Development Director at 925-687-3730 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it


Double your donation to Loaves and Fishes via a Matching Gift Program

How can you help increase the value of your donations to Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa? Double the value of your donation via a matching gift program. A matching gift program is a corporate sponsored benefit that can help you double your personal contribution to a charity or cause, such as Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa.

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The New Social Fundraising Event

Want to help Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa raise money for the vital programs that feed the hungry of Contra Costa? Not sure how you can help? Maggie, a donor from San Ramon, came up with a great idea. When she recently sent in 5 checks for a donation, she left a great hand written note. Her personal budget did not allow for a large donation, so she invited her friends over for Holiday Tea. While the friends enjoyed tea, goodies, and even a violin player, they also raised money for Loaves and Fishes.

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