Mobile Loaves & Fishes

Our Art House in Community First! Village is in full swing this summer with many unique pieces being created by our neighbors and volunteers. This space provides a creative environment for the talented men and women living in the Village to create and sell their unique art! If you're interested in learning more about our Art House while getting to know our talented artist neighbors, volunteer with us! Visit serve.mlf.org/volunteer-calendar for more info.

True to its name, Community First! Village in East Austin is a place where fellowship between neighbors abounds. 🏘️ The 51-acre community offers permanent housing for those coming out of homelessness, including more than 10 acres of flourishing organic gardens known as Genesis Gardens. 🌿

Through shared maintenance, neighbors, volunteers and staff all take part in growing more than 50 types of edible plants distributed for free at a weekly farmer’s market. Led by Gardens Manager Judea Atarji, the program's mission is not just to create food, but to cultivate relationships among neighbors based upon that food. 🌱

The plants mirror that neighborly love thanks to companion planting, which involves putting crops that enhance each other’s growth close together. “If you put one pepper in a pot, your yield is pretty low," Atarji notes. "Put a pepper plant in a bed with edible flowers and herbs, it blossoms and fruits at a higher rate... It’s a beautiful analogy for the community, too.”

Read more in Wildflower Magazine: https://www.wildflower.org/magazine/cultivating-community

📷 Genesis Gardens Manager Judea Atarji, Mobile Loaves & Fishes Community First Village

Did you know that all of our homes in Community First! Village have front porches? Each porch is uniquely designed with some being open air and others being screened in. These spaces encourage our neighbors to create community with one another in an outdoor space of their own!

Photos by Leonid Furmansky

Mitigating homelessness truly takes a village! We're grateful to have been invited onto The Joe Rogan Experience podcast to share more about all the goodness happening through Mobile Loaves & Fishes as we collaborate with the entire community to serve our friends who are in need. Enjoy the newest JRE episode – along with plenty of Alan Graham "nuggets" that we're certain made it into the conversation.

Joe Rogan Experience #2181 - Alan Graham Alan is the founder and CEO of Mobile Loaves & Fishes, a Christian social outreach ministry that provides food and clothing, cultivates community and promote...

Helen was born in the UK and moved to the US in search of sun, eventually finding her way to Austin. As the RV she lived in fell apart, she was introduced to Community First! Village and moved into her home in the Village in 2020. Helen considers herself a “city gal” with a love for street art, urban photography and people. In addition to her fine artworks, Helen also has a passion for design. Her recent design projects include logos, branding and wine packaging design. You’ll find Helen most nights up late working on her art in her home.

Browse Helen's and other neighbor artists' work at shop.mlf.org. Every purchase helps our artist neighbors find purpose in following their passion!

Spanning more than 10 acres of Community First! Village, our Genesis Gardens provide a place of intention and unity. Here, our neighbors and volunteers roll up their sleeves and learn together–all while growing relationally with one another. The produce from the gardens is washed, bunched, canned, pickled, preserved or cooked and prepared for meals. Free farmer’s markets on Saturdays make it possible for neighbors living in the Village to have direct access to fresh, organic foods each week!

Our new Genesis Gardens inspired tea towel is a great way to bring the bounty of our Genesis Gardens into your home. We hope they also may inspire you to volunteer in our gardens or other areas in the Village!

Visit shop.mlf.org/collections/spring to purchase one today!

Join Alan on an emotional episode of the Gospel Con Carne podcast as he sits down with our neighbor Linda. In addition to learning more about Linda's story, you'll hear from one of our Mobile Loaves & Fishes' staff members, Frazel, who works directly with Linda in our Community Inn! Linda grew up in Louisiana with six siblings, later moving to several locations in Houston, and ultimately ending up in Austin. After spending time homeless, while living at a park in Austin, Linda met her case manager who was able to introduce her to Community First! Village. Linda moved home to the Village at the beginning of this year and feels that her experience has been life changing. She has a passion for cooking for herself and her fellow neighbors as a way of spreading joy and lending a helping hand to others. Linda is also a consistent worker at our Community Inn where she has built a beautiful relationship with Frazel, the Community Inn coordinator. More than finding a home and work, Linda is grateful that she has found community, learning that she is never alone with the forged family she now has in her new neighborhood.

Listen to her story "No Longer Alone, with My Neighbor Linda" on Spotify, iTunes, Sound Cloud or at mlf.org/gospel-con-carne-podcast.

Did you know that the Mobile Loaves & Fishes Truck Ministry first began out of the back of a green minivan in 1998? It has now transformed into several trucks across the city of Austin serving meals 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We have recently started doing truck runs from Community First! Village which has given our staff, Missionals and neighbors the opportunity to experience first-hand how Mobile Loaves & Fishes Truck Ministry first began!

If you’re interested in serving with our Truck Ministry, you can view more details at serve.mlf.org/truck-ministry.

Our tiny homes are one of the many aspects that make Community First! Village so unique. Did you know you can buy our popular ceramic tiny homes in an array of colors? Each ceramic piece is handmade by volunteers then glazed by our artist neighbors and is inspired by actual tiny homes in the Village. Bring a piece of Goodness into your own home by visiting shop.mlf.org/collections/ceramic-tiny-homes or by tapping on the products below!

As you’re traveling this summer, consider staying overnight at Community First! Village in our Community Inn. The Community Inn offers a unique opportunity to experience the Village in one of our vacation rental spaces! Ranging from eclectic tiny homes to an Airstream trailer, we guarantee you will find something that fits your style for the perfect getaway. Plus, your stay at the Community Inn helps provide our formerly homeless neighbors a dignified income for the upkeep of your space. To book a stay or learn more, visit communityinn.mlf.org!

This summer is heating up! To help inspire you to stay hydrated, we've created a Community First! Village water bottle featuring a beautiful illustration of our Genesis Gardens. This Nalgene water bottle is renowned for its durability, features a wide mouth, making it easy to fill with ice cubes, and has a screw-on lid with a loop top for convenient carrying.

Shop our new water bottles at shop.mlf.org/collections/spring! Your purchases and donations help keep our Village neighbors healthy and hydrated throughout the summer.

Happy Fourth of July! We hope you have a fun and safe holiday!

Summer is a perfect time to check out our Community Cinema at Community First! Village. Twice a month, you can join us for a family-friendly movie night, and if you come a little early, join us for a tour of the Village! Tickets are FREE with the option to purchase a private pod. To learn more and see which movies are coming up next, visit mlf.org/cinema!

Upcoming Movie Nights
- Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire on Friday, July 12th
- Kung Fu Panda 4 on Friday, July 19th

When a neighbor moves home to Community First! Village, they are welcomed with a fully stocked fridge and pantry. To do this, we need your help! Will you partner with our Neighbor Care team to help welcome our neighbors home? We are hoping to receive nonperishable and staple food items, with our only request being to be aware of the expiration dates, dents, and rust of any of the cans. We want to be putting high-quality items into our neighbors' homes! Please email our Neighbor Care team member, Bonnie, at [email protected] to arrange delivery of items or fill out the form at mlf.org/housewarming-bundle-nonperishable-food!

We are specifically looking for the following nonperishable and staple food items: ground coffee, peanut butter, jelly, ketchup, salt, pepper, tuna, chicken, chili, soup, dried beans, canned beans/vegetables/fruit, pasta sauce, dried pasta, condiments, dressings, honey, hamburger helpers, instant rice, mashed potatoes, ramen, chicken broth, ravioli, sugar, cooking oil, bottled water, instant mac and cheese and toaster pastries.

Ute was born in Ludwigshafen, Germany, where she discovered art at a young age. Having no formal artistic education, Ute developed her painting and ceramics skills simply by watching and doing.

Ute moved into her forever home at Community First! Village in October of 2017. Thanks to our Art House program in the Village, she's been pursuing her passion for art ever since.

Browse Ute's and other neighbor artists' work by visiting shop.mlf.org or by tapping on the products below. Every purchase helps build a community where everyone belongs!

On this week’s episode of the Gospel Con Carne podcast, Alan is joined by our neighbor and friend, John! Growing up on the beaches of Florida, John’s childhood was filled with love, surrounded by his mom, stepdad and two brothers. John later attended college in Arizona where he was able to reconnect with his biological father, working to create a relationship even as his dad struggled with alcoholism. John eventually entered a season of his life where many of his family members passed away, causing a breakdown in his marriage which led to divorce. This series of tragedies pushed John to leave his current surroundings and bike across the United States, working day jobs to make a living. When finding day jobs during the covid pandemic became virtually impossible, John began living on the streets of Austin. Since moving to Community First! Village in the fall of 2022, John has reconnected with his daughter and works consistently with our on-site janitorial team. While building relationships with his neighbors living in the Village, John has learned to accept people for who they are and often encourages them that good things are to come if you just hang in there!

Listen to his story "Hanging in There, with My Neighbor John" on Spotify, iTunes, Sound Cloud or at mlf.org/gospel-con-carne-podcast.

In these hot summer temperatures, our plants get thirsty too! Our Genesis Gardens in Community First! Village make up over 12 acres of our property, and the water used to maintain our plants provides an average of $4,750 worth of produce to our neighbors every month through our weekly farmer’s market. One of our neighbors’ favorite treats from the gardens in the summer is fresh peaches!

What’s your favorite cold snack in the summertime? Comment below or share to your page and story!

During the summer, water consumption increases by more than 50% across our 51-acre Village property and we need your help to support our rising water costs this summer. Donate now at mlf.org/summer2024 to help keep our produce stand stocked at our weekly farmer's market!

Did you know there are 12 laundry, restroom and shower facilities, along with 12 community kitchens spanning across Community First! Village? These communal spaces allow the more than 380 formerly homeless neighbors living in the Village to rinse off, wash their clothes, cook meals and clean their dishes all throughout the property!

When our neighbors are looking for more fun things to do to escape the heat, they often enjoy attending events and creating community in our air-conditioned Living Room. What are some ways you like to stay cool and create community throughout the summertime? Comment below or share to your page and story!

During the summer, water consumption increases by more than 50% across our 51-acre Village property and we need your help to support our rising water costs this summer. Donate now at mlf.org/summer2024 to support relief from the Texas heat for our neighbors!

Join us tomorrow!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem - Community Cinema Mobile Loaves & Fishes invites you to a movie night at Community First! Village's Community Cinema & Amphitheater.

Summer has arrived at Community First! Village and we are feeling the heat! Are you feeling it too? Triple-digit temperatures are typical for Texas in the summertime. Cool, fresh water, air conditioning and icy-cold popsicles are necessities for surviving the summer heat.

After years on the streets, our Community First! Village neighbors are grateful to have a cool home and fresh water to help keep them safe from the extreme heat. During the summer, our Village neighbors require more water to stay hydrated and healthy. Our irrigation systems work overtime to maintain our property and keep Genesis Gardens growing the fresh produce that our neighbors need. Water consumption increases by more than 50% in the summer across our 51-acre Village property.

Will you help us weather our rising water costs driven by the rising summer temperatures? Please donate now at mlf.org/summer2024 to help keep our Village neighbors healthy and hydrated throughout the summer.

Wherever your plans take you this summer, know that you are always welcome at Community First! Village. Come for a visit and share a popsicle with our neighbors. They would love to see you!

Our neighbor Chris moved home to Community First! Village in 2017 and has since become very involved throughout the community. You will often see him working in our Genesis Gardens, helping with the Neighbor Care team and giving tours to the public. Chris has many talents, and the latest skill he has developed is candle making! When you order a candle, you are helping Chris, and the rest of our artist neighbors, rediscover their purpose and use their God-given talents to do meaningful work. Visit shop.mlf.org/products/candle or click on the products below to purchase!

We are excited to share that the foundation pads of our first homes on our Hog Eye Road expansion of Community First! Village are being built! This part of our expansion is an additional 51 acres that will become home to nearly 500 more neighbors in the years to come. We love to see the progress happening at this property and look forward to sharing more of it with you as it progresses!

Are you looking for an opportunity to serve at Community First! Village and engage in community with our neighbors this summer? Volunteers are at the heart of everything we do at Mobile Loaves & Fishes, and we would love for you to join us! From the Art House to our Community Inn and Genesis Gardens, we have many opportunities for volunteers to serve with our different teams throughout the Village. Visit serve.mlf.org/volunteer-calendar to view upcoming opportunities to serve with us!

Father's Day is just around the corner! Celebrate the fathers, father figures and loved ones in your life with a gift of Goodness by purchasing a hat from our new Shop MLF collection! Visit shop.mlf.org/collections/spring or click on the products below and share some Goodness this summer!

On our newest episode of the Gospel Con Carne podcast, we are joined by our neighbor and friend, Tuana! Originally from Louisiana, Tuana grew up with her mom and two brothers. She says her mom’s drug problem forced the family to move around quite a bit, which left her to become involved with the wrong crowds from an early age. The pain Tuana experienced from the people she was left surrounded by led to her own drug use and ultimately left her in a state of living in her car. Thankfully, Tuana was connected to Community First! Village a year ago through our friends at Sunrise Church in Austin, and she has found immense peace since moving to the neighborhood. On any given day you will find Tuana tending to vegetables in the Village's aquaponics greenhouse or possibly driving her neighbors around the community on our Gus Bus. She's also a community builder! Since moving in, Tuana has discovered her gift of bringing the community together through cooking, which helps to create a safe and loving space for her fellow neighbors.

Listen to her story "Finally Finding Peace, with My Neighbor Tuana" on Spotify, iTunes, Sound Cloud or at mlf.org/gospel-con-carne-podcast!

Farmer's markets, picnics, music festivals...Spring is here, and we've got some new tote bags for all of your adventures! Our new designs feature an illustration inspired by our own Genesis Gardens as well as a fresh take on "Goodness Every Day." Order your new tote today and bring some goodness to your community by visiting shop.mlf.org/collections/spring or by tapping on the products below!