Program News

Four year old J.R. visits the Loaves and Fishes Bay Point dining room with his father, Mark, almost every day.  His father said that J.R. loves the Loaves and Fishes meals.  He especially likes the vegetables and salad, which his dad said is pretty amazing.  Mark said that J.R. asks every day to go to the Loaves and Fishes Bay Point dining room, located at the Community Baptist Church, because the atmosphere is mellow and friendly, and everyone there is welcoming.  Mark said that he is unemployed, and without the nutritious Loaves and Fishes daily meal, both he and J.R.may not get to eat a noon meal or would eat only junk food.

With the Holiday’s upon us, one group of people will not have the holiday experience most of us share. For the hungry, the homeless, the working poor- Hunger never takes a Holiday. At Loaves & Fishes of Contra Costa we share an open door, a friendly volunteer’s smile, a warm welcome and a hot, nutritious meal for anyone who is hungry in the communities we serve in Contra Costa County. As you enter this holiday season, please consider a tax deductable holiday gift of $ 50, $100 or what you can afford. $0.85 of every dollar raised is spent directly on providing meals to our guests. A typical meal consists of comforting, hot, nutritious entrees such as Spaghetti & Meat Sauce, Warm Buttered Bread, Fresh Garden Green Salad, Fruit Salad, and Fruit Juice. Many of our guests tell us it is the only meal of the day.

Dear Santa,

This past year we the Volunteers, Staff, and Board of Loaves and Fishes of Conta Costa have been very, very good. Santa, in January we will reach a milestone of 3.5 million meals served since 1983 to all the hungry boys and girls in Contra Costa. We could sure use the following items Santa:

1.    Money to keep feeding the hungry during the upcoming cold winter. Santa, any amount will do, a $50.00 or $100 donation from your helpers goes a long way!

2.    Santa, since you like to bring gift items, we are in need of the following:

-   $9,000 for a new water heater for the kitchen
-   $3,600 for a new ice machine. We use the ice to cool our prepared foods after cooking.

Santa, we know you have a lot to do this week. The need for a hot, nutritious meal on a cold and rainy winter day is at an all time high. We are serving over 800 meals a day. Last year at this time we served 600 per day. If you can help us, our guests would be grateful

Kyna, her ten day old infant son London, and her partner visited with the other clients in the Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa (LFCC) Antioch dining room enjoying the hot meal and warmth on a cold and windy day in December. Kyna and her family frequent the Antioch dining room almost every day. Kyna‘s partner has a part-time job, but since the economic downturn, neither has been able to find a full time job.  The family has been using the Loaves and Fishes meal service for a little over one year since her partner lost his job.  Since then, the family has been homeless off and on, and the meal Loaves and Fishes provides enables them to buy formula for the baby, and food for their other 9 year old daughter. Kyna said that because of the Antioch LFCC facility and meal, she has a place to sit down, eat a warm meal, and rest with her baby. She said she is very thankful for Loaves and Fishes because food is a necessity, and there are no other programs like Loaves and Fishes in the Antioch area to get a warm meal in a place where the volunteers and staff are friendly and welcoming.