Works of Mercy

Who Are We?

Loaves and Fishes Ministries was established in the spring of 1981 as a short-term overnight homeless shelter. The founding group was guided by the lives and ministries of Mother Theresa, Gandhi and Jesus and their message of demonstrating God’s love through service.

Loaves and Fishes Ministries maintains a foundational belief in the equality of all humanity and strives to provide clean and safe housing to all guests in a non judgmental and accepting atmosphere. Please explore our links to learn more about Loaves and Fishes Ministries history, mission, policies, services, success stories, volunteers, and ways to help.

Loaves and Fishes Ministries Mission

Loaves & Fishes Ministries provides short-term emergency and long-term transitional housing, advocacy and support services for homeless adults and children in a caring Christian environment. Our purpose is to serve, not convert, respecting each person’s spiritual path, different though that may be from ours.

All are welcome who are in need regardless of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, country of origin, mental or physical ability. If Loaves and Fishes Ministries cannot meet some one’s needs, our staff refers them to a medical or social service agency that can.

History

An Inspired Reflection on the Loaves and Fishes
Ministries Community
…And Those Who Made It Possible

The story of Loaves and Fishes Ministries dates back to 1979 when a group of visionaries, driven by the injustice of our system which consistently favors the “haves” over the “have-nots,” answered Jesus’ call to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and house the homeless. They were part of a social change group that grounded itself on the nonviolence of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Jesus of Nazareth. These early co-founders drew their inspiration from Matthew 25 – the Last Judgment in which both those on the right and on the left ask the same question, “When did we, or didn’t we, do this to you?” Jesus simply replied, “When you did it to the least of my brothers (and sisters), you did it to me.”

That was it. There was no need to do further social analysis to understand that the system was stacked against the least of their sisters and brothers. They just knew they needed to do something about it. So they decided to either start a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter. And because the Abrahamic Peace Community which housed a small number of homeless in East Lansing was closing down, it became apparent that they should start a shelter.

Creating the Shelter

So they took a leap of faith and threw themselves into the process, trusting the Lord to guide them through the maze ahead. They had so little money, they decided to call their adventure “Loaves and Fishes,” reminiscent of Jesus feeding the multitudes with 5 barley loaves and 2 fishes. Endless meetings to plan the necessary infrastructure; 181 days of intense negotiations with the City of Lansing Zoning Board and the City Council to get official permission to operate a homeless shelter; searching for a house, hiring a coordinator, establishing a support community, visiting neighbors to answer their questions and allay their fears; continuous attempts at raising money; and finally jumping through endless legal hoops to complete mounds of required paperwork. It was a very demanding but exciting time. Fortunately, the five who emerged as the original Core Group (Advisory Board) were not about to be discouraged. And their persistence, like that of Job, paid off.

They finally purchased a house at 831 N. Sycamore in Lansing, and in February of 1981 were awarded a “Special Use Permit” to offer overnight shelter by the City of Lansing Zoning Board. This meant homeless guests could come in at 6 p.m., but had to be out by 9 a.m. the next day. The original Core Group, comprised of Kevin Bowling, Barbara Curtis, Carol & Paul Brun Del Re and Joan Tirak, continued to meet weekly for 17 years until the late 1990’s when they expanded to a 12-member Advisory Board, changed their title to the “Core Community,” and transitioned to meeting monthly. In the years that followed, the Core Community went through the normal struggle of building and maintaining a community of faith-filled, service-oriented members who were willing to serve for the long haul. And many did just that. Another member, Carol Baker, after nearly 30 years of service, retired from the CCBD in March of 2022. Prior to joining the CCBD, Carol was employed at the shelter first as our Guest Advocate, and then as L&F Co-Coordinator. We are so grateful for ALL the work that these loving friends did for our guests and for our shelter program over the many years they were in leadership with us.

Over the years, numerous talented and dedicated employees joined Loaves and Fishes Ministries, giving tirelessly for as long as they could and then moving on – all working diligently to make life better for their homeless sisters and brothers. Whether advocating for guests, cleaning the house, organizing annual yard sales and the Prayer Walk for the Homeless, writing grants, scheduling and doing in-services for volunteers, attending community meetings, staffing resource tables, or speaking at events, our staff members were – and continue to be – the backbone of the day-to-day workings of Loaves and Fishes Ministries. They are the true heroes and heroines who make the program work despite often limiting and dauntless challenges.

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