Loaves and Fishes expands to meet the demand for services in Contra Costa

When hunger shows its face in a community, Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa studies the area to see if there is a need for a dining room.

Eighteen months ago we started conversations with Saint Vincent de Paul’s about the needs of the hungry in Pittsburg. These talks led to a partnership, resulting in a privately funded, 2,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art dining room adjacent to Saint Vincent de Paul’s Thrift Store.

For the Community Baptist Church, it all began about thirteen months ago when our operation manager, Carol Babcock, attended an Interfaith Council meeting and was introduced to two ladies from the Community Baptist Church in Bay Point, CA. Their conversation centered on the churches desire to feed a growing hungry population in Bay Point.

On July 1, 2010 those two conversations will produce results. Loaves & Fishes and St. Vincent de Paul have entered into a long-term partnership to build the dining room at 1415 Simpson Ct. off Gladstone at E.Leland. What was talk eighteen months ago became a joint capital campaign. Once half of the money to build the project was secured our talk became action. On April 15, 2010 we held a groundbreaking ceremony. Work began that day and moved at a hectic pace to completion. On July 1st people will be eating in the dining room that just 18 months ago was a conversation.

Community Baptist Church started offering meals provided by Loaves & Fishes on January 11th; just months after Carol had her conversation with Dee Dee and Mary Ann, the two parishioners of the church. On July 1st, we enhance that meal service by adding a LFCC site manager on staff. A total of three new Contra Costa residents will be employed at these sites and over 20 area residents worked on the construction project through local Contra Costa contractor HJ Hess Construction.

Even in these trying economic times, when our donations have been down, we need to believe that being there in the community, expanding to meet critical needs, is the right thing to do. If you do the right thing, the community will support you. We ask you to help us meet this need by considering a donation of whatever amount is comfortable for you. A tax deductable receipt will be provided.