The Mobile Loaves & Fishes, Inc. (MLF) program began in 1998 as an outreach ministry at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Austin, Texas. It was founded on the guiding principle of "providing permanent, sustainable solutions for the chronically homeless, with compassion, love, and dignity." From its humble beginnings with six St. John Neumann parishioners who delivered 75 sack lunches per day, Mobile Loaves & Fishes has grown into a nation-wide movement that includes 16 meal trucks and 17,208 volunteers in Massachusetts, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Texas. To date, the Austin-based MLF program and its affiliates have served over 4.4 million meals.
In 2006, the St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church Mobile Loaves & Fishes core team approached St. Francis of Assisi parishioners with a proposal for establishing a new MLF ministry. The promise of seed money and organizational support was bolstered by the Austin-based MLF program's donation of a catering truck. Recognizing the plight and ever-growing problem of hunger in the San Antonio area, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church excitedly joined the MLF ministry in January 2007.
The initial St. Francis of Assisi call for volunteers brought over 500 parishioners into the ministry. In the intervening years, the MLF ministry has involved over 450 parishioners and other volunteers from area businesses, churches, and civic groups including: Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Newcomers of San Antonio, NuStar Energy L. P., and the San Pedro Presbyterian Church. From an initial goal of serving only supper seven days a week, the MLF program expanded to include lunch and supper every day of the week. The program provides various services to 16 San Antonio area locations, including House of Prayer Lutheran Church, Guadalupe Community Center, Interfaith Welcome Coalition, St. Vinnys Bistro, refugee communities near the Medical Center, and several parishes on the South and West sides of the city.
With homelessness and hunger posing a major problem throughout the world and in San Antonio, it is our goal to help alleviate some of that suffering. From 2007 to December 2022, MLF volunteers have served 800,000 meals to 21 San Antonio area locations.
The St. Francis of Assisi Mobile Loaves and Fishes ministry has adopted the following mission statement: "to provide food, clothing, and dignity to our brothers and sisters in need."
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, our MLF ministry has been forced to alter our normal meal delivery schedule and limit the overall number of locations served.
To view the newly revised Meals Serving Schedule, click the Calendar link.
Click here to see the various San Antonio locations served by the St. Francis of Assisi Mobile Loaves and Fishes ministry.