Who We Are

Our Mission

The mission of Loaves and Fishes is to feed the hungry of Contra Costa County by providing free hot nutritious meals at dining facilities.

What We’ve Accomplished

Since 1983, Loaves and Fishes has served over 3,400,000 meals to many thousands of hungry people throughout Contra Costa County. We have recruited thousands of volunteers and built an organization that has grown to serving over 100,000 meals each year.

According to the Contra Costa Times we are one of the most cost-effective charitable organizations in the Bay Area and are second only to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano Counties in efficiency. We serve meals out of six locations throughout Contra Costa County – where we’re needed most!

Our Values

• We will serve meals to the hungry of Contra Costa County without regard to race, religion, sex, age, disability, place of residence, or any other qualification.
• We strive to provide a welcoming and positive environment, respectful of the dignity and privacy of all guests, regardless of circumstances or appearance.
• We work at developing a cooperative relationship with other organizations and individuals who share our goal of feeding the hungry.
• We are a local volunteer organization, staffed by committed individuals who recognize the need to feed the hungry of Contra Costa County.
• We are financially responsible by the utilization of volunteer labor and donated food products.
• We are accountable to our supporters by providing full disclosure of all financial dealings.
• We seek financial and volunteer support for Loaves and Fishes from individuals, businesses and organizations that recognize the need for feeding the hungry.

Who We Are

We are a non-profit charitable agency, governed and dedicated to our local community. (Though there are many similar organizations in the US with similar names, we are independent and are not affiliated formally.)

Although we enjoy the active support and participation of many Contra Costa religious institutions, we are actually secular and non-sectarian.

We are a volunteer driven organization of local individuals and groups. More than 1,000 people volunteer each year in our organization, and through their volunteering they realize their own goals for a fulfilling life and a nurturing community.

How We Started

In 1983 Loaves & Fishes was started when Pittsburg residents, Pauline Brisbin and Lucy Zendaez, saw families rummaging for food in dumpsters. Together with others concerned about this problem, they started serving lunches out of the basement of St. Peter Martyr Catholic Church in Pittsburg. The first day they served 26 meals.