Loaves & Fishes looking for new, larger home to serve the hungry
Stephanie Ingersoll
Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle
When Jennifer Lathrop became homeless after the 2010 flood in Clarksville, she discovered Loaves & Fishes and knew her family would get at least one meal a day.
Now that they're back on their feet, about once a week, they return to the soup kitchen, to share lunch with the people they've met and share inspiration.
Not that they consume much soup these days.
'It was a godsend'
Kitchen manager Vicki Oguin would put their food up to some of the best restaurants in the city, with most meals being cooked daily with fresh, donated ingredients, deviled eggs, restaurant pizzas and drinks. Mexican chicken spaghetti was just one of the items to choose from Tuesday.
"This is a great program," Lathrop said, sharing a table with her two children and another family. "Back when we were homeless, it was a godsend. We could come here for one meal a day."
Six days a week, volunteers often serve more than 200 hungry people at its kitchen at 215 Foster Street. Just off College Street, many gather the First Presbyterian Church Activities and Outreach Center early so they can go in at 10:30 a.m. to wash their hands, sit in the cool (or heat in winter) and then take their place in line.
But things have changed in the almost 20 years since Loaves & Fishes moved into its current location.
First Presbyterian Church's education programs are growing, and the church is now embarking on a major capital campaign to renovate and expand its Activities and Outreach Center to make more room. That means asking Loaves & Fishes to move out, according to the church website.
New location needed
A move makes sense for Loaves & Fishes as well. The need for space to both cook and accommodate so many diners has grown to the point that Loaves & Fishes is looking to move to a location about 10 times its size. It would house both the kitchen and the warehouse, where they store food they give to partner agencies.
"It's no secret we've outgrown," the location, said board member Issac Wright. "We are looking for a new building to remodel or build from the floor up."
The goal is is to have one central location up and running by 2020 or 2021. But the work to get there is already underway.
The City of Clarksville and Montgomery County have offered potential locations, although nothing has been finalized and there is a lot to figure out before a place is picked. They are exploring other options too to see what best fits their needs.
They are also open to other locations, especially if someone wants come forward with assistance.
MORE: Loaves and Fishes offers opportunity to help others
They still have the full support of the Presbyterian Church and 28 different churches that send a team to help serve lunch once a month.
But while they have volunteers, they don't have much space at the kitchen for them.
Only about eight can work and serve in the kitchen because of its size.
And the dining room can't accommodate as many diners as sometimes needed. On Monday alone, Loaves & Fishes served 256 meals.
"Anyone can come and eat as much as they like without being questioned," Oguin said. "Some people eat here every day."
A growing mission
And over the years, the mission has grown too. Oguin has noticed in recent years far more young adults. Loaves & Fishes works with other agencies to help them with other needs that could lead them to work. Last month, a shower truck provided showers. YAI Paks provides clothes. Hair cuts were offered.
Volunteer legal aid, nursing, vaccines, housing assistance and other services provided by 45 partner agencies set up at the kitchen periodically. Ideally, a new location would have room for that, as well as the kitchen, dining, warehousing and office space needed to help people in Montgomery, Stewart, Robertson, Cheatham and Houston counties.
Four times a year, Loaves & Fishes give away 50,000 pounds of food during four food drives and every day they give to other agencies that provide food boxes.
MORE: Loaves and Fishes holds annual Jingle Bell Food Drive
Food from Loaves & Fishes helps Safe Harbor, Safe House, Salvation Army, South Central Village, AJAX Turner Senior Citizen Center, the Old Fire House Day Shelter and more. In Springfield, food is distributed by Living Waters to migrant farm workers.
It's a far cry from its humble beginnings in 1983 when the nonprofit began at Trinity Episcopal Church. Several women from there and Immaculate Conception Church and United Methodist Church would meet at the Trinity kitchen with food they brought themselves. After they outgrew the space, they moved to the current location in 1999.
"It just grew from there," Oguin said.
'We will push forward'
Wright said the building now can hold 85 people at once but the demand is larger. Diners rotate in and out from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
He said the current space is 1,300 square feet but the agency would like to find something closer to 13,000 square feet.
"We want everything under one roof if we can do that," he said. "We can only dream right now."
He said the Clarksville community can do its share, from donating money or building supplies, food or time. Those who go to the kitchen to see what they do, usually become supporters when they see the impact.
"We will push forward," Wright said. "Our focus is to get the brand out and when the community gets it, everything else will fall into place."
And many of those that eat at its tables are willing to help too.
Lathrop said she has a master's degree in communications in corporate communications and would like to help.
"I have been on both sides," she said.
Reach Reporter Stephanie Ingersoll at singersoll@theleafchronicle.com or 931-245-0267 and on Twitter @StephLeaf