About Loaves and Fishes
About Loaves and Fishes
Loaves and Fishes was founded in 2005 in support of the local community and aimed to help provide food staples for people experiencing hardship in the local area.
Loaves and Fishes was founded on the principle of creating a long-term solution and avoiding the welfare mentality by giving people a hand up, not a hand out by not just about providing the staples, but also allowing poorer families to access luxury items..
The Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry supports 5300 families throughout the Coffs Coast by providing them with groceries at about one-third of supermarket prices. Food and household items are sourced from Foodbank Australia and other local businesses.
Additionally, we provide emergency food parcels for those in crisis. Loaves and Fishes is an outreach of ALC.
The food is rescued from a landfill fate and, despite having lapsed “best before” dates, is still perfectly fine to eat.
Evolving from a pantry inside the Abundant Life Church, over the course of about six years the Loaves & Fishes Foodstore has become a fully-fledged supermarket for the needy and the penny-pinched.
Providing low-cost, affordable groceries has had the positive flow-on effect of fewer people approaching St Vincent de Paul Society and the Salvation Army for food vouchers.
Services We Offer
The Loaves and fishes Foodstore provides food and household items to people who are on a pension, low income, in need or crisis. However, ALC aims to be a more comprehensive resource through offering additional services that can help people get back on their feet and enabling them to move forward in their lives. Feel free to contact us about any of the services listed below.
Foodstore
The store offers you staple foods such as fruit, vegetables, bread, as well as an range of other common products found in supermarkets.
OpShop
We offer a wide range of quality clothing, bric-a-brac, books, accessories, toys at a fraction of the cost of retail outlooks.
Community Shed
Our communal shed houses a large range of tools and equipment that can be used for all manner of repairs and maintenance.
Fishing Club
Loaves and Fishes aims to bring fellowship and an interactive fishing experience to disadvantaged members of the community.
Soup Kitchen
Every Sunday Loaves and Fishes provides hot meals to people who are facing social disadvantage and need a good feed.
Life Skills Training
We offer financial counselling and personal budgeting, grief counselling, anger management with the aim of regaining independence in your life.
Bus Pickup Service
Loaves and Fishes runs a pick-up and drop-off service which runs between Sawtell and Moonee at a cost of $5.
Emergency Accomodation
Although not presently offered, this is a service that we are looking at incorporating into our service model.
Fearless Leaders
Meet the fearless leaders of Loaves and Fishes who are collaborating across a number of community based ventures aimed at enhancing the quality of life of marginalised members of society.
The management team of Loaves and Fishes Food Store is made up of Senior members of the Abundant Life Church, of which the Loaves and Fishes Food Store is a branch of the broader services that Abundant Life Church offers. The day to day operations of the store is augmented by volunteers and work for the dole participants.
Wayne Crowther
Loaves and Fishes Manager
Wayne, as the co-manager of the ACCN network demonstrates his full commitment to making a difference to making a difference in his community by also being the Manager of the Loaves and Fishes Community Food Store.
Russell Jones
Loaves and Fishes Manager
Russell, as the co-manager of the ACCN network and pastor of the Abundant Life Church is following a deep heart centered calling to ensure that the Mission Statement and goals of our church are brough to fruition.
Our Work
Below are some of the images of the Loaves and Fishes Food Store that are facilitating a qualitative enhancement of members of our region.
