Roots of our Summer Match
In 1954, St. Mark’s United Church of Christ opened its doors in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Suburbs were sprouting. Families were planting roots. And a congregation was gathering It wasn’t a place just to worship, but to weave itself into the life of a growing community.
For seven decades, they showed up for their neighbors.
At Loaves & Fishes, our relationship with St. Mark’s United Church of Christ runs deep.
For years, a faithful group of their volunteers came monthly to our meal sites. Not just to serve food, but to pull up a chair and share a meal with our guests. They learned names. They remembered birthdays. They asked about kids and jobs and hard weeks.
Over time, those monthly visits built something you can’t manufacture: real, ongoing relationships and trust.
That’s the quiet magic of recurring volunteer groups. When the same faces show up, month after month, strangers stop being strangers. And for many of our guests being known and welcomed is just as nourishing as the meal itself.
When St. Mark’s made the decision to close after 70 years, they made a few final decisions in the same spirit.
They sold their property to the Bloomington Housing Redevelopment Authority, ensuring the land would become more than 13 affordable homes for families who need them. And they chose to share the proceeds with organizations still doing the work they always believed in as a congregation.
Loaves & Fishes is grateful to be one of those organizations.
Thanks to St. Mark’s United Church of Christ, your contribution can go twice as far this summer, up until the match runs out.
Right now, during our matching gift campaign, every dollar you give will be matched up to $115,000. This means your generosity goes twice as far for the people who need it most. The match will take place from June 30th to August 31st.