We all know 2020 wasn’t easy, but through the generosity of our donors and hard work from staff, volunteers and partners, Loaves & Fishes will serve over 4 Million meals this year. Lives have been impacted positively and memories made along the way. Take a look at a number of the moments you helped us create with a timeline of memories:
January
Loaves & Fishes wasted no time finding a new area to meet the need when Farmington’s only grocery store closed at the end of 2019. On January 1st, 2020 Faith Church United Methodist opened a community meal site and has been a great partner throughout the year.
Colten and Jameson Varco ages 8 and 10, reminded us all how much fun it is to volunteer with Loaves & Fishes. Hard to believe we were serving sit down meals when we featured these two!
March into Spring
Our work changed in March as we safely and rapidly implemented a to-go model and continued to meet the need and feed hungry Minnesotans.
Chris Montana, the Owner of DuNord Craft Spirits, was one of many people and partners to step up right away in March. The distillery graciously donated hand sanitizer to Loaves and Fishes. Chris shared a touching story on how he already knew about Loaves & Fishes.
We partnered with the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities thanks to an extended commitment from UnitedHealth Group throughout the summer and into September. During the summer Loaves & Fishes had 64 community meal sites throughout Minnesota.
Summer
In May, KSTP spotlighted the ways in which hunger partners came together to support each other.
Our HUB partnership continues to be an important area of our mission. Sarah’s Oasis, one of our first partners in the program, reflected on the ways fresh food from Loaves & Fishes has made a difference in their work.
Nothing we do is possible without the hard work put in by our site coordinators. The mother and daughter duo of Kelly and Ellen Simon take the family feel of Loaves & Fishes to another level.
Need another reminder of making the most of a difficult year? Look no further than the end of summer celebration put on by our team in Aitkin.
Fall and Winter
The music industry was hit hard by the pandemic so it was a heartfelt moment to put on a Labor Day event to give back when they needed it most.
At the end of the day, everything we do is for our guests. At New Bethel we saw a neighborhood come together, in St. Paul we saw hope provided for Russell who is homeless and in the suburbs we saw relief for families like Leo’s and Amanda’s.
Another area we provide relief to our guests is through our street outreach program. Get a glimpse of the impact made every Saturday.
Lastly, we ended the year on an exciting note that will change our work moving forward with the opening of our dream kitchen!
Still reading? Thank you! Thank you for helping us meet our Give to the Max goal and for donating all year long so that we could help the 1 in 8 Minnesotans struggling with hunger. Through your generosity we will continue to help today and into the future.
