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Loaves & Fishes exists as a mission of love and faith to provide food and temporary support services to residents of Ayer, Devens, Groton, Harvard, Littleton and Shirley, and advocates for changes by its clients that will promote independence and self-reliance.
In 1983, knowing there were people in their neighborhoods who were making the choice between buying food and paying rent, three friends decided to do something about it. The Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry was soon born. The response from the neighboring towns was astounding.
What started as a simple act by three women has grown into a tremendous effort by the entire community. In the early days of Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry, the clients applied for help at the
Although far from ideal, the pantry was able to operate this way for several years, serving many local families through the tireless effort of community volunteers.
In 1997, Loaves & Fishes moved its entire operation under one roof on
Loaves & Fishes most valued asset is now and has always been the generosity of the community it serves. Volunteers work over
13,000 hours a year to ensure that the needs of those we serve are met with dignity and respect.
The hundreds of committed volunteers are the heart of the pantry. It is the stewarding, however, that distinguishes our food pantry from other agencies.
Stewards are dedicated to sitting one-on-one with clients. They are trained to listen with understanding and empathy to the complex situations of our clients. After getting a sense of the clients need, the steward then makes decisions, along with a trained mental health professional on staff, about how a client may be most effectively helped.
In this way, Loaves & Fishes addresses the unique needs of the individual, providing the appropriate support and resource referrals that promote empowerment and his or her self-reliance.
The people we serve are your neighbors and friends. They are the working poor, the elderly, the single parent, and people with disabilities. They come from every ethnic group and are faces familiar to us all. They are the people you meet on the street, at church, in the store, and at school.
We have never turned away anyone in our community who was in need of food. In 2011 we provided food for 883 families.
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