A friend told me that the Mobile Loaves & Fishes food truck was parked under the bridge at 12th and Chicon.
It had been raining. I was hungry and wanted to get to the truck, but my wheel chair got bogged down in the mud. I had to crawl to the truck. I was embarrassed, wet and dirty, but they helped me clean up, gave me dry clothes, fed me, and prayed with me.
They treated me with dignity.
– Bonnie, Community First! Resident
You may have seen her sitting on the corner, and thought you knew all about her, but let me introduce this woman to you. She is a mother, a grandmother, and a Veteran. She is diabetic, blind and an amputee. She is upbeat, self-sufficient and an inspiration. She is Bonnie, my friend and a resident in the Mobile Loaves & Fishes Community First! Village.
After the breakup of her marriage, Bonnie found herself alone, terrified and hopeless hiding herself deep in the woods of east Austin. Suffering with serious health problems, every day she struggled to find food and a safe place to sleep.
Relieving immediate hunger is fundamental to taking the next step toward emotional, physical and spiritual healing; earning an income; making a home; and developing healthy relationships.
Just like Bonnie, many others are suffering on the streets right now. They are hungry, lonely and have no place to call home. But it doesn’t have to be this way. You can be a blessing in their life, and together we can provide many more life-changing meals.
At Mobile Loaves & Fishes we offer so much more than a meal. We offer dignity, empowerment, relationship and community. We offer a way home.
Please join us in transforming the lives of our homeless neighbors. Your generous gift allows our caring volunteers to deliver meals with compassion and hope to the hopeless.
Through your generosity, lives are transformed and our homeless neighbors are lifted off the streets and into community and home.
Today Bonnie is a member of the hospitality team, a tour guide, and a gardener. She is safe, surrounded by friends, and getting healthier every day. She is a resident of Community First! Village.
Because of your compassion for the homeless, Community First! Village is under construction and we are beginning to move our friends into their homes. This 27-acre master-planned community is designed to provide an affordable, sustainable home in a supportive community for our disabled, chronically homeless neighbors.
Before Bonnie met the Mobile Loaves & Fishes volunteers on the truck that day, she couldn’t imagine a way home. What began with a sandwich and a conversation has evolved into a safe, secure home in a loving, caring community.
Friend, this meal could be the first step in the journey home for a friend like Bonnie.
