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The Friendship Park Kiosk as experienced by a former newspaper editor
Randy Rodda who volunteers in the Friendship Park kiosk and the dining room shares what it is like to work in Friendship Park, where many who are experiencing homelessness find comfort, community and a safe place to rest their eyes. Loaves & Fishes staffers and volunteers put on their game face — humility, empathy and…
Read More"I simply like being in the park"
Say “Hello” to Shon! When Shon first came to Loaves & Fishes, he was simply looking to get a TB test. Instead, he left with a TB test, two sleeping bags, and a newfound community. Shon’s first experience with Loaves & Fishes caused him to feel safe, secure, and loved by the staff, the volunteers,…
Read More731 K Street
Our volunteer photographer, Gale Filter, reflects on the history of homelessness along K St. The door above has memories for me. I see it nearly every week on my early morning K Street walks. From 1999 to 2007 it was the door I entered to start my work day at the California District Attorneys Association…
Read MoreSowing Seeds
Joquel Hunt is a writer, mother and author of this blog post. She trusts Mustard Seed to take good care of her son and daughter while she runs errands, tries to secure housing and carves out some time for herself to cope with the stress of the family’s life. I am sure you have heard…
Read MoreThe struggle to find a public bathroom
Each day, guests at Loaves & Fishes must walk miles to access public restroom — and sometimes are forced to surrender to nature’s call outdoors. This daily struggle for the homeless is dehumanizing, and also a public health issue, with tuberculosis, meningitis and diarrheal diseases running rampant. In 2011, a United Nations expert on safe…
Read MoreThe Decisive Moment
The “decisive moment” is a concept introduced by Henri Cartier-Bresson, the father of street photography. As Cartier-Bresson explains it the decisive moment “is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as of a precise organization of forms which give that event is a proper expression.”…
Read MoreReba: a survivor, chocked-full of motherly wisdom
Many Maryhouse guests go to Reba when they are in need of someone to talk to. “They call me Mama Reba,” Reba said. “They come to me to talk and I listen. If they ask for advice, I give suggestions. I’m very spiritual. I have the spirit of God in me and I take that…
Read MoreFathers are homeless too
In honor of Father’s Day, Loaves & Fishes celebrated its guests who are fathers. Gail Filter, Doug Winter and Theodore Goodwin captured stunning pictures of Loves & Fishes guests and provided them with two copies of their likeness — one to keep and one to send to their loved ones. (Keep scrolling to see their…
Read MoreJerry Ryle, Dining Room and Jail Visitation Volunteer
At over six feet tall, Jerry Ryle’s deep voice has a slight Irish lilt. Now, a retired priest, he grew up in the Land Park neighborhood of Sacramento. At the time, the neighborhood was composed of working class families and Sacramento was a small city – with a population of just 240,000 people. “Back then…
Read MoreA meditation on Friendship Park from the Sacramento County Jail
Robert, a guest at Loaves & Fishes, has been in the Sacramento County Jail for the past year and two months. He is a poet and an artist. He wrote and dedicated this poem to Friendship Park on June 22nd, 2016: A Place to Be, To Meet a Friend, Broken Hearts, That Need to Mend.…
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