Every plant tended by volunteers in our organic garden; the hundreds of thousands of hot meals we prepare, serve and deliver; the meals we recover and redistribute from partners throughout Santa Clara and San Mateo counties; and every bag lunch we distribute is a seed sown in our community for those who find themselves in need of a healthy, nutritious meal.

Our History

For the first 35 years, Loaves and Fishes was a classic soup kitchen. In 2015, we redesigned our model -- obtaining temperature-controlled trucks and developing partnerships with non-profit and community organizations serving our shared population. Using this hybrid service delivery model, our services increased to 547,000 meals per year and the number of partner organizations grew to 60 sites by FY2018.

In FY2019, we integrated our A La Carte food recovery program into our portfolio of services -- receiving prepared food and excess produce from local farms, corporate, airport, restaurant, and academic institutions, and redistributing meals at designated school, community, shelter, and transitional housing locations.

FY2020 was already shaping up to be our largest service year ever. Then COVID-19 struck, and we knew within weeks that the explosive increase in requests for our services would make it an unprecedented year of growth. Requests for our assistance have tripled since March 2020 - growing from 2,500 meals to over 7,000 meals - a day.

By the end of June 2023, we provided over 1,800,000 meals to our most vulnerable neighbors in need; and by June 2024, we will exceed 2,000,000 meals.

OUR MISSION

Our Vision

Our mission is simple. We aim to provide hot and nutritious prepared meals, delivered and served to feed hungry families, children, seniors, veterans, students, and disabled individuals in our Bay Area community.

ALL ARE WELCOME NO QUESTIONS ASKED.

Our vision is ambitious. We want to create as many avenues as possible to ensure anyone in need of a meal in our community has access to nutritious and quality food.

Together, we believe that food represents family, community, healing, and love shared. We are grateful to be able to enjoy a hot and nutritious prepared meal after a long day. We know that a full belly makes us happy and that sharing food creates memories. We also know that food is powerful, a resource, and we cannot live without it. We believe that food binds us together.

Meet Our Board

Our founding board members created a solid foundation for us to build on over the years. Our current board members and advisory council are committed to the Loaves & Fishes’ mission and vision and charting a path forward to meet our community’s ever-increasing needs.

Now, more than ever, we need your help to continue to feed the growing need. Your support makes a difference in the lives of so many families, children, seniors, veterans, students, and disabled individuals throughout our Bay Area community who don’t have access to food.

And food is the foundation upon which we stand - it drives everything we do. When we feed those around us, we give them life, show them love, help them stay fueled, improve their health, provide them with medicine, and provide them with hope. For us, it about more than meals.

By volunteering with us, you play a tremendous role in helping feed our hungry neighbors. From assembling bag lunches and hygiene kits at home or at our socially-distanced events, you help us feed the need.

It doesn’t take much. For every $3.50 you donate, you help to provide a meal to the most vulnerable among us in our hungry community. Help us move someone from hunger to hope by making a donation today.