Join us at "Food for Thought" A Summer Garden Party
You are cordially invited to Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa's first Annual Event: "Food for Thought" A Summer Garden Party.
- Sunday - June 24, 2012
- 2:00 - 5:00pm
- Hacienda De Las Flores
- 2100 Donald Drive, Moraga
- $50 per person
Featuring food prepared and served by renowned East Bay’s chefs
- Jeff Asadi, La Finestra
- Jon Avalos, Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa
- Stewart Beatty, Postino
- Philippe Chevalier, Chevalier Restaurant
- Jeff Erb & Vince Herera, Back 40 BBQ
- Frank Palmer, Diablo Country Club
- Darius Somary, Springloaf Catering
- John Townsend, Orinda Country Club
- Scott Wall, Lark Creek Walnut Creek
- Kevin Weinberg, Walnut Creek Yacht Club
- Live and silent auctions showcasing local artists, sports memorabilia and a luxury destination trip to Hawaii
- Entertainment by Generations in Jazz, Pamela Freund Striplen – Violist, and Wendy Tamis – Harpist
- Bocce ball and croquet on the beautiful grounds
- Wine Tasting, beer and other beverages
All
proceeds from this event will benefit Loaves and Fishes of Contra
Costa. This entirely local non-profit agency has been providing hot
nutritious meals for those in need since 1983, over 3.7 million meals
served!
To purchase tickets online, Register Here
To purchase tickets by mail, Click Here for event registration form
or call (925) 687-6760.
Click here for event flyer.
A Client Testimonial: Estella and her Boys
Estella and her two sons, ages 3 & 4 years old, were at the
Oakley Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa dining room to eat a hot meal.
She has used Loaves and Fishes services of a hot and nutritious meal on
and off for a few years, mostly when she is between jobs and needs help
to make ends meet. Estella is a single mother with two sons. She works
in seasonal jobs, and it is very slow right now. Estella is thankful for
the Loaves and Fishes meal which helps a lot because the food is warm,
and the kids like the salad and fruits that are included in the meal.
Her four year old son especially loves the warm buttered bread!
Healthy Spring Fresh Produce Recipes
Loaves and Fishes is featuring 3 recipes from our Board Member, resident nutritional expert, and home chef: Angela Stanford.
Kale is an early spring leafy green that is packed full of nutrition and flavor. Below is a recipe for a Kale Spring Salad. The kale salad goes well with the quick and easy Red Lentil Soup recipe (also attached).
Kale Spring Salad
- 1 bunch kale, rinsed & chopped.
- juice of 1 freshly squeezed lemon
- 1/4-1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup toasted pin nuts or pecans
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta
Combine lemon juice, olive oil & salt. Toss with nuts, fruit and kale. Chill 20-30 minutes. Add cheese & serve.
Note: Use organic ingredients when possible
Click here for a Red Lentil Soup recipe that is simply tasty and inexpensively made with 5 simple ingredients from fridge and pantry.
Click here for a recipe for Curly Kale Chips that make a great snack or can accompany a sandwich.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Wells Fargo lends a helping hand in Pittsburg Dining Room
A Wells Fargo team, made up of individuals from Concord, Martinez, and
East County, volunteer in the Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa
Pittsburg dining room. Well Fargo has several teams that volunteer with
Loaves and Fishes as part of their corporate social responsibility
initiatives. Thank you to all the Wells Fargo volunteers that are
helping feed the hungry of Contra Costa!
Kristen celebrates her 13th Birthday Volunteering at Loaves and Fishes!
Kristen Berardi and her three friends, Tera Rose, Audrey, and Sabrina,
celebrated Kristen’s 13th birthday by volunteering at Loaves and Fishes
of Contra Costa in Pittsburg in February. Kristen had volunteered with
her middle school at the Martinez Loaves and Fishes dining room and
found it a really fun experience. She wanted to celebrate becoming a
teenager with her good friends by spending the morning volunteering at
Loaves and Fishes. Kristen and her friends had fun helping to feed the
hungry, spending time together, and giving back ~ a great way to
celebrate becoming a teen! After volunteering with Loaves and Fishes,
the girls celebrated by going out to lunch, and having cake at Kristen’s
home.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
2nd Annual Loaves and Fishes Raffle
Did you know...
- Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa serves over 170,000 meals per year.
- Has served over 3.7 million meals since 1983.
- New Friday Food Pantry provides our clients with nutritional food for the weekend.
Would you please help us feed the hungry through the purchase of raffle tickets?
Raffle Prizes:
1st Place $1,000
2nd place $500.00
3rd place $250.00
Tickets Prices:
$5.00 each, or 6 for $20.00
The Raffle Drawing will occur on June 24th, so get your Raffle Tickets now!
To get your Raffle Tickets, please contact Melanie Anderson at 925 687-6760 or via email:
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Donate/Buy tickets online: click Donate and put "Raffle" in the comments section with your information. A hardcopy ticket will be filled out for you and placed in the drawing.
3rd Annual Danville Wine Tasting Benefit supporting Loaves and Fishes
We are excited to invite you to the 3rd Annual Danville Wine Tasting Benefit on June 9th, 2012.
This
year the event will feature a gourmet dinner & wine tasting from
local winemakers, including Beau Vigne, Damian Rae, Destino, Gann Family
Cellars & J. Benton Furrow. We will also have a silent auction;
featuring wine, artwork & amazing one-of-a-kind items, as well as a
"Wine Pull".
First Annual Charity Poker Tournament to benefit Loaves and Fishes
Please Join Trace3 for their first Annual Charity Poker Tournament on June 12, 2012 at the Blackhawk Country Club. The tournament will be benefiting Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa and The Asian American Donor Program.
• The Buy-in is $65.00 per person
• Unlimited rebuys for $20.00
• Register before May 20th and receive an extra $200.00 in chips
• Prizes will be given to the Top 3 winners
• Grand Prize of $1,000
• The guest with the most rebuy's WINS an IPAD
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.
Thank 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.
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!!!
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”.
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
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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.
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.