FISH & LOAVES
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Mission Statement
Mission and Communities Served by Fish & Loaves The Fish & Loaves Community Food Pantry is a 501c3, client choice, food Pantry, “Ensuring No One Goes Hungry” in the communities we serve regardless of religious beliefs. It is a faith based, non-sectarian, non-profit volunteer organization providing both emergency and on-going food assistance to individuals and families in need across seven communities with a total population of 212,182 residents—Allen Park, Brownstown Township, Dearborn Heights, Romulus, Southgate, Taylor, and Woodhaven. Yet our outreach covers additional residents in other communities because of our partnerships.
About This Cause
WHO WE ARE: A Volunteer-Based Organization. Fish & Loaves relies on the contributed time and talents of more than 300 volunteers from the wider community. Some of our lead volunteers contribute 20-40 hours per week of volunteered time—as a testimony to their continuing dedication to our shared mission of ensuring that no one goes hungry. Since Fish & Loaves relies on mostly volunteer labor, an unmatched percentage of all monetary donations go directly to purchase food for direct distribution to our clients. The Largest Food Pantry in the State of Michigan…Since opening its doors in July 2008 Fish & Loaves has emerged as the largest client choice food pantry in the State of Michigan, distributing 1.6+ million pounds of food annually to 3,000 households severely impacted by the loss of manufacturing jobs. This past year Fish & Loaves welcomed 16,000 visits by households seeking food assistance. Every day of operation Fish & Loaves welcomes 3-4 new clients to its pantry store. Hunger and nutrition are genuine challenges faced by the communities Fish & Loaves serves. A telling statistic: reflecting poverty or low incomes, 54% of all children within our communities are eligible for free or reduced lunches. In three of the communities, eligibility is especially high—in Romulus 73%; Taylor 70%; Dearborn Heights 65%. As we expand our reach the poverty levels of linked communities such as Detroit also have high rates of food insecurity and the lack of access to healthy nutritious food. Fish & Loaves Support Although we are the beneficiary of donated food, Fish & Loaves also has to purchase from various sources to keep its shelves and refrigerators stocked for clients. Much of the food that Fish & Loaves purchases are USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) which is available at bulk discounted prices. Yet even the cost of USDA food has soared over the last two years from $.08 to $.18 per pound. Fish & Loaves expends $25,000-$27,000 per month for food purchases. Funding Impact Fish and Loaves, continues to support families in need and help reduce food insecurity in the communities we serve. Many people are not aware that each month Fish and Loaves Community Food Pantry spends approximately $20,000 - $25,000 on food to stock its shelves. You can see the impact it would have by allowing us to extend the amount of food we can purchase and in key areas where donations alone do not suffice throughout the year when the need for healthy nutritious food in the communities we serve increases. To fulfill its mission Fish & Loaves mission depends on generous community support from churches, schools, fraternal organizations, businesses, corporations, and individuals. Visit us on Facebook. Volunteer: volunteermatch.com