Amplify Austin is a 24-hour online fundraising event happening in our city on March 4-5, 2013.  Our goal as a city is to raise $1million – and Mobile Loaves & Fishes gets to participate as one of the partner charities eligible to receive your donations that day!

What is even more exciting is that YOU (as an individual, or part of a business) can help us by becoming a fundraiser–and when you do, you’ll be eligible to win prizes for their efforts!

Individual fundraisers pick their own fundraising goal for their chosen nonprofit and receive donations on their fundraising page on AmplifyATX.org. (All fundraisers will be able to register by completing an online form on the Amplify Austin site).

We are thrilled to be part of the Austin Family of Non-Profit Organizations, serving our homeless brothers and sisters each day on the streets of our great city.  This is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to give back and support the organizations and programs that are making life just a little better in Austin.

Stay tuned for more details–coming soon!

Tags: Amplify Austin, I live here I give here

Mobile Loaves & Fishes is thrilled to be co-sponsoring and participating in a very special event this coming November 8-11, 2012:  The Walk to Siloam is a four-day retreat for our homeless brothers that includes camping, fellowship, and worship to nourish their spirit. You and your family are welcome to participate in this incredibly uplifting experience in the following ways:

Candlelight Service, Worship and Serenade

The Candlelight Service is on Saturday night, November 10th from 7:00-8:00 pm at Camp Buckner, outside Marble Falls. We will briefly worship together and then serenade and pray over the “Pilgrims” as they join us. (It’s a surprise to them). In the past this service has had an incredible impact on the Pilgrims as God uses it to open their hearts through the demonstrated love of Christian Community. So come, and bring friends and family. Children, and grandchildren, are absolutely welcome, and are an additional blessing.

Directions: Here is a link to get directions to Camp Buckner which I believe is about 30 minutes from Horseshoe Bay: CLICK HERE. We will park in the camp’s parking lot and quietly enter the dining hall from the rear.

We will worship together – singing, praying for the men, sharing in communion, and hearing a short update on the weekend from Alan Graham (Head of Mobile Loaves and Fishes). Then the men will enter (it’s a surprise to them) as we sing to them. We’ll have about 15 minutes of singing, telling them about the community which has been praying for them and has gathered in God’s name share His love with them this evening, and then they will return to a gathering in their chapel. We will finish at 8:00 pm, so folks can make their way back to Austin, Llano, Marble Falls, Horseshoe Bay, and the other towns from which they’ve traveled. After the service, there will be stationery available so folks can write short notes of encouragement and God’s love to some of the Pilgrims.

Prayer Banner

We ask everyone to select a time on pray specifically for the Pilgrims and the staff servants, so the entire weekend is covered in prayer. Please have folks select a time to pray on the Prayer Banner under Walk to Siloam Austin #1. During the weekend, we will share with the men (using a large paper banner) the names of those who are covering them with prayer for 24 hours a day throughout the weekend.

Sign-up by going to the Walk to Siloam Austin #1, click on “View Entire Prayer Banner” and choose a time or times to pray. You do that by clicking on the specific time you would like and filling in the pop-up box with your name, email, phone number, and church.

Pray Specifically

Get the names of the staff and the “Pilgrims” by going to the very bottom of the Prayer Banner page (the one with all the names and times), enter your email in the box, and click the “Email me a current list of the staff and participants.” You will immediately receive an email with all the names of Pilgrims and servant staff so you can prayer specifically for each individual.

Giving

For those who feel so led, they can help defray the expenses of the weekend for the homeless men. (All the staff are paying their own expenses plus contributing for the “Pilgrims.”).  Visit www.mlf.org/WTS to donate online.

Tags: homeless services, spiritual retreat for homeless, Walk to Siloam

On Tuesday, May 1, 2012,  a group of Muslim students from Austin Peace Academy joined our staff on a lunchtime truck run to feed the homeless at Woolridge Park.  The students were from the 10th grade class at APA, and included five boys and two girls.

Their teacher, Mohamed-Umer Esmail who has been previous truck runs with Alan Graham, was anxious for his students to experience faith in service.  As in Christianity, Islam places a strong emphasis on charity.  In fact, charity is one of the “Five Pillars” of the religion of Islam, which means caring for the poor and needy is obligatory for  every Muslim.

The APA students had an opportunity to show their faith in action, providing food, cold drinks, clean clothes, toiletries and smiles to their homeless brothers and sisters.

Here are some of the photos from the day:

Tags: Austin Peace Academy, Homelessness, interfaith activism, Interfaith charity, Islam and charity, Muslim charity, Muslims helping homeless, students

2012 Mobile Loaves & Fishes
CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT
(Proceeds To Benefit the St. Marks Mobile Loaves & Fishes charity)

When: Saturday, August 4, 2012
Where: SILVERHORN Golf Course, 1100 W Bitters Rd, San Antonio, Texas
Format: Florida Scramble (Best Ball)
Time: 7:30 am Registration / 7:45am Practice Range / 8:30am TEE-OFF
Cost: $100 per Golfer -Includes Cart, fees and a Free Buffet after the Round

Click here to download and print the registration form.

Tags: charity golf tournament, golf tournament, MLF Charity

We are honored to have been featured in this short film by the Exploring God team. Please enjoy this moving and beautiful depiction of our ministry:

Tags: Alan Graham, Exploring God, Truck Run

Walmart awarded $25,000 to our Truck Program through their “Fighting Hunger Together” program.    In 2010, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation committed $2 billion in cash and in-kind donations through 2015 to help end hunger one meal at a time.  This grant will enable MLF to serve nearly 10,000 nutritious meals to those who are hungry and living on the streets.

MLF was also a recipient of a $10,000 grant through Walmart’s “12 Days of Giving” campaign which awarded over $1.5 million to nonprofits nominated by Facebook users.  The call for submissions resulted in 5,400 nominations from users who shared photos and short descriptions of nonprofits’ impacts in  local communities and across the nation. A panel from the Walmart Foundation selected 145 winners with a focus on organizations that are providing basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing and baby supplies.  Mobile Loaves & Fishes was spotlighted on December 22 as one of the nonprofits in the “Doing It All” category.  A Facebook user in the New Bedford, Massachusetts community first nominated MLF, describing the impact that MLF has in that community through the Truck Program and other MLF programs such as the Community First! Program.

To read more about the Walmart Foundation and its “Fighting Hunger Together” program, visit The Walmart Foundation’s Hunger Relief Page.

This weekend!

Davenport Shopping Center in Austin is holding a day of Family Fun benefiting Mobile Loaves & Fishes.

There will be dance and choir performances, kids’ activities, and treats.

Free entry with donation!

Click here to view the Davenport Holiday Poster

Tags: Christmas, Davenport Village, event, fair, fun day, holiday

Mobile Loaves & Fishes needs your help now to advocate on our behalf to the Austin City Council for a resolution that is coming before the Council this Thursday June 24th.  We need you to email, call or communicate NOW to the Council in support of the pending resolution.  The fastest most immediate way is to send one email that will reach the Mayor and each Council Member by clicking on the following link:

Email Mayor & Council Members NOW

This resolution will instruct City Staff to work with Mobile Loaves & Fishes on either gaining approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to use a tract of land out by the airport or to find another suitable tract of land for us for our groundbreaking Habitat on Wheels RV Community housing model.  This is currently item # 83 on the morning Council Agenda.

You could email something like this:

Dear Mayor and Council Members:

I am writing in support of Item # 83 on the June 24th, 2010 City Council Agenda.  This resolution on behalf of Mobile Loaves & Fishes will place a very powerful tool into the continuum of care tool box by providing permanent, supportive and affordable housing to those that find themselves chronically homeless.

Thank you,

Your Name

You can learn all about our Habitat on Wheels  model by clicking on the link below:

Habitat on Wheels RV Community Model

For over five years Mobile Loaves & Fishes has been lifting chronically homeless brothers & sisters off of the streets of Austin into affordable and permanent RV's and Park Model Homes.  Today we own about 45 of these RV's that house over 55 people.  Many of our residents have been with us since its inception and over 85% have maintained stable housing for well over a year.  We are asking the City to merely provide us with a tract of land suitable for our purposes and we will raise all of the capital necessary to build and operate the community.

Thank you for your attention to this very important issue.  The community needs your help now.  Your voice (and emails!) make a big difference and are heard.

-Alan

1,373

That's right…1,373 texts.  Let me spell that out for you so there is no misunderstanding.  One thousand three hundred seventy three!!  At $10 a pop that adds up to $13,730!  That is a mere $1,730 above our goal of $12,000 to get Danny & Maggie off the streets.  Not quite the windfall some are erroneously reporting.

As many of you recall we had this powerful campaign in April where we put Danny a homeless guy up on a billboard and asked people to text "Danny" to 20222 to donate $10 to help us get he and his wife Maggie into a home.  Go check out the I Am Here website to get a full description of what we accomplished.

For those wondering what we did with all the money we hauled in…well, we got Danny & Maggie into a home. For those reporting we hauled in $100,000 please correct your dis-information.

-Alan

Tuesday evening June 15th KXAN the NBC affiliate in Austin ran a story on Danny & Maggie about how they are back on the corner of Braker Lane and IH 35 panhandling.  You can see the story by clicking here.  We are grateful to KXAN for continuing to elevate the dialogue of the chronic homeless here in Austin and we are happy to be a part of that dialogue.  We do take one extraordinary exception to one part of their story however.  KXAN implied that they tried to reach me for comment repeatedly but without return phone call but the truth is that I was out of town on a fishing trip with my church and was not reachable.  They were told this by our staff.  They were also told this by our official spokesperson.  As the spokesperson for Mobile Loaves & Fishes I look forward to every opportunity to speak on behalf of those brothers and sisters whom we serve.

Now on to Danny & Maggie.  It is with pure joy that I am able to report to you that for nearly three months Danny & Maggie have a place off the streets that they can call home.  They are progressing just as we expected. While making this radical transition they have longed to reconnect with old friends; both those on the streets and those that served them in ministry while they were on the streets.  This longing led them back to their old stomping grounds at Braker and IH 35.  Of the almost 90 days  they have been off the streets they have spent about 5 days out on their old stomping grounds.  Folks, this is a celebration!  Now personally I wish they would not go back there but we live in a free world and they are allowed to do so.  I respect and honor their decision.  I do pray that as time goes on there will be a greater connection in their new community and a lesser longing for their old.

We are learning that for anyone, much less those that have experienced this type of homelessness, it takes about one month for every year you have lived in a place or a lifestyle to make the adjustment.  For folks like Danny & Maggie this may mean an adjustment period of a year or longer.  For those of you with families that have had to transfer from one city to the next think of the extraordinary adjustments you have had to make.  So too for Danny & Maggie.  Merely receiving a place they can call home does not allow us to say they have been fixed and repaired.  It is a giant step though.

Now let's talk about panhandling.  Virtually everything I have to say about panhandling can be found at www.mlfnow.org/panhandling.  Simply, I would prefer no one felt compelled to have to panhandle for any reason.  Those that do find it humiliating.  Read the citeable studies found at the above link to get the facts.

When questioned by the reporter about why they needed to panhandle Danny & Maggie responded that they needed the money to live and pay bills now that they are housed.  Let me go on record by stating emphatically that in the almost six years we have been housing formerly chronically homeless brothers and sisters 100%, YES 100%, of them have struggled in almost a life and death situation to pay their bills every month.  Come on folks!  These people live in poverty and we are grateful every month that any of our residents are able merely sustain themselves.  We are not moving this population of people into a middle class lifestyle.  What is really incredible though is our residents level of happiness however, not without the pitfalls of life.

"Why don't they just get a job!", many would say.  For a variety of reasons many of our brothers and sisters have a difficult time gaining employment.  Their fault, our fault or nobody's fault the fact remains that many of the chronically homeless are unemployable in the way you and I typically think of employment; the forty hour week 8 to 5 type of job.  You can read a lot about how we view this by going to www.mlfnow.org/jobs.  We talk extensively about why and then offer a program as to how we can begin to change this for some.  We have been changing the lives of several formerly chronically homeless through our micro economic jobs model.  If the only answer is to stuff them into the 8 to 5 box we are only going to be marginally, if that, successful.  We are thinking outside the box with results.

We would love for you to go read about our Community First! approach to home by going to www.mlfnow.org/how.  Here you will find our business plan for the RV community we are proposing as well as a number of other documents that details very specifically our philosophy.  No secrets here as these documents have only been up on our website for several years now.

Everyone wants to know how much money we made on the I Am Here campaign.  Many suggest or allude that there was a windfall.  Let me assure you there was no windfall.  We are grateful that we exceeded the goal to raise enough money to get Danny & Maggie into a home plus a little more to perhaps get another chronically homeless individual off the streets of Austin.  We were blown away by the national attention the campaign received and are ecstatic with how viral the campaign elevated this very important issue.  Mission accomplished!

Let's celebrate a victory and continue to dialogue together on how our community can best tackle this very pressing issue.  Mobile Loaves & Fishes is committed to this mission of serving our most vulnerable.  We love to love those whom many choose to despise.  We welcome those who want to join us in this effort.  We are making a powerful difference.

-Alan

Tags: charity, Danny & Maggie, Homeless, Homelessness