A Season of Growth
Summer is the season of growth, so it seems fitting to reflect back on how we've grown as an organization. It's been six years since I began as Executive Director, and I'll never forget when the Board asked me what I thought about feeding more people. I didn't hesitate to say, "Let's GO!"

As we set off on this amazing journey, we needed answers to these questions: Are people still hungry here in Minnesota? How do our meals make a difference? Who are our guests?

In 2013, we served around 300,000 meals. Last year, with the support of your generosity, we topped one million! People are hungry, and we're giving them more opportunities to be our guest and enjoy healthy meals.

Our nutritious meals do make a difference. A young mother no longer worries about feeding her child, while she struggles to pay for college. A homeless man is eating farm fresh vegetables for the first time in years.

Our guests are EVERYONE: Rural retired farmers, urban homeless, folks living in their cars, individuals that haven't spoken to anyone all day. I never set out to be transformational, innovative or alike. I looked at the need and sat at as many tables as I could to find partners, a great staff and smart board members who said, "lets meet the need." Seems to me, we got busy and transformed.

With gratitude,
   
Cathy Maes, Loaves and Fishes' Executive Director  


 
Transformational Leader Award
 
In June, the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits awarded Cathy Maes
the Transformational Leadership Award for creating a vision

to serve meals in different ways. 


From Our Farm to Our Guests' Plates
Fresh fruit and vegetables are a luxury for many of our guests. Your generous donations are helping us serve an estimated 80,000 meals with farm fresh produce in 2019 alone. With your support, we're able to harvest a variety of produce and serve it to our guests all in the same day!

Candice recently visited our St. Stephen's dining site. She enjoyed a salad and tacos loaded with farm vegetables and herbs. 

Candice said, "It's wonderful! I can't afford to eat the way I want to... 
I'm so thankful for this meal."

Soon, we'll be harvesting even more produce, including tomatoes, potatoes, kale, green beans and other vegetables.  We appreciate your continued support to make sure all of our guests taste "fresh" on their plates.

For more information on how to get involved at our Farm for All, please contact Kimberly at farmforall@loavesandfishesmn.org or click here to sign up and volunteer. 

For this family, your support means so much.  
 
Colin is a hard-working father with growing children. He relies on our meals to help feed his family. Colin's wife is disabled, and the couple is working to dig out of debt. 

"It allows me to not have to worry about what ingredients we have at home to make a healthy meal. We get to come here without the stress, and I get time to enjoy my children," said Colin.

The family is saving $150 every month, which is helping them pay off their bills. Colin's message to our donors: "They may not see what their donation is buying.. but it sure makes a difference to people that use it."

$9 out of every $10 donated to Loaves & Fishes 
goes  directly to our work.

We are here for our seniors.  
Richard and Marilyn are regular guests. They'll use resources provided
through our new Advocacy Program for Older Minnesotans.

More than half of the guests visiting Loaves & Fishes dining sites are older people.  Our new  Advocacy Program for Older Minnesotans is connecting these aging Minnesotans to resources they need to live healthy, independent lives in their own homes. The effort is made possible by a  Live Well at Home grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services. 

Our Director of Advocacy, Debbie Lieberman, visits our dining sites across Minnesota to give older adult guests personalized, one-on-one attention and to provide them with access to important services. 

We're helping people like Richard, 91, and Marilyn, 88. The couple needed some help with home maintenance. Debbie provided them with a list of verified support services they can trust. 

For more information on this program and ways we are helping older Minnesotans, please visit our website or contact Debbie at dlieberman@loavesandfishesmn.org.



Thank You for Joining Us for Summer Bingo
at Lakes & Legends Brewing!
 




Thank you for making our Summer BINGO event a success! 
We had a wonderful time playing bingo  at Lakes & Legends on Sunday, July 21. 
We want to send a special "thank you" to all of our local businesses who donated prizes and to all of our volunteers who helped out!
For more information on volunteering at future Loaves & Fishes events or donating prizes, please contact Hannah at hlitfin@loavesandfishesmn.org.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Please join us for our premier fundraising event of the year, " A Warehouse Affair,"
on Saturday, September 28 from 5:30-9:30 p.m.
We have an exciting new format with the same great food and fun! 
Enjoy chef-selected dishes from local food trucks, restaurants and our farm
in a festive atmosphere.

Food Trucks | Complimentary Wine Pairings & Brewery Tastings 
 Live Music | Silent & Live Auctions | Casual Attire

Tickets: $100/person,  RSVP Here!

Gold Plate Sponsors: BI Worldwide, TempWorks Software
Silver Plate Sponsor: Rahr Malting Co.
Bronze Plate Sponsor: CBIZ MHM

Loaves and Fishes
Corporate Office
612-377-9810

Meals. Kindness. Comfort.
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