Sacramento Loaves & Fishes

Founded in 1983, Loaves & Fishes feeds the hungry and shelters the homeless. We provide an oasis of welcome, safety, and cleanliness for homeless men, women and children seeking survival services. We recognize the dignity and spiritual destiny of each person, and hope by our attitude of hospitality and love, to nourish not only the physical needs of those who come to Loaves & Fishes, but also their spiritual need for love, acceptance, respect, and friendship.

As the largest homeless service provider in Sacramento, Loaves & Fishes is a 501(c)(3), charitable,

Goal One: We aim to continue re-imagining our services in light of the lessons of the pandemic and re-engaging in our mission of providing radical hospitality.

Goal Two: We aim to fully and safely re-open all of our programs during 2022.

Goal Three: We aim to continue in the tradition of our founders and provide informed advocacy statements to the community and to our local leaders regarding the condition of homelessness in our community.

Like many other non-profits during this time, we have experienced some leadership transitions. Many of those openings were filled with individuals who have shown dedication to our mission and philosophy and were promoted from within. As some of these individuals are in leadership positions for the first time, they receive weekly 1:1 support from the Executive Director and a variety of external training opportunities to allow them the opportunity to grow within their new roles.

When the initial shelter in place order was enacted in Sacramento, CA, one of our program directors, George Kohrummel stood on a bench in Friendship Park and announced to 500 people experiencing homelessness that we had to close many of our facilities. George describes the moment as "heart-breaking, devastating and one of the most difficult moments of my career." Since then, our staff have pivoted and adapted to the ever changing regulations and guidelines for social distancing, sanitization, wearing masks and more while still welcoming our guests in a spirit of human connection and hospitality. Through the physical distance COVID-19 put between our staff and our guests, we have worked tirelessly to maintain connections with people seeking our services. Coffee mugs were replaced with paper cups and our plastic dining room trays were traded for disposable containers. School teachers became sous chefs in our kitchen, outreach workers and made deliveries of school supplies, food and age appropriate activities for parents and children to occupy the long hours of isolation. Our therapists relied on cell phones to keep in touch with people struggling with their mental health and eventually utilized outdoor spaces to talk through masks and at least make eye contact. We are continuing to engage our creativity in the delivery of our services with our minds also trained on the safety of our guests on our campus. We strive everyday for our guests to feel seen and heard before they leave us for the long night ahead. We hope and pray they come back to us the next morning for another hot cup of coffee, shower and companionship as they navigate the world without the security of a home.