Mobile Loaves & Fishes is an organization with a new approach to tackling homelessness – putting community first. Their Community First! Village provides affordable, long-term housing for the chronically homeless. They find through housing and a community that emphasizes respect and relationships, chronically homeless individuals are able to finally heal from trauma and begin to thrive, work, and live better lives.
Social entrepreneur Alan Graham started Mobile Loaves & Fishes in 1998 when he bought a food truck to feed homeless people in Austin, Texas. But that was just the beginning. Now his organization has grown to include a 51-acre community of tiny homes, craft shops, auto repair businesses and even an organic farm. The “Community First!” Village is unique, and provides an example of how innovative solutions can be used to transform the lives of even those with the largest barriers to overcome.
In this short documentary, we interview Alan Graham and speak with Community First! Village resident Tracy about her story. We also talk to Mobile Loaves & Fishes President and Chief Goodness Officer Amber Fogarty about what makes their approach unique and successful.