85R11369 ALB-D
By: Workman H.R. No. 588
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Mobile Loaves & Fishes has made a positive impact in
Central Texas through its efforts to benefit the homeless; and
WHEREAS, In September 1998, Alan Graham and several of his
fellow parishioners at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Austin
began delivering meals out of the back of a minivan to people living
on the street; the civic-minded group quickly grew, and within
months it was able to purchase a more suitable vehicle for catering;
and
WHEREAS, Mobile Loaves & Fishes later expanded to San
Antonio; Providence, Rhode Island; New Bedford, Massachusetts; and
Minneapolis, Minnesota, and its thousands of volunteers have since
served more than five million meals; as the reach of its food truck
ministry increased, the organization implemented new programs,
including Community First! Village, a 27-acre master-planned
neighborhood in Austin that provides affordable, permanent housing
and a supportive community for the chronically homeless; the
development fosters a friendly, familial environment and includes
such services and amenities as a medical facility, an outdoor movie
theater, walking trails, a marketplace, and common spaces for
projects, worship, and meditation; and
WHEREAS, Through its Community Works initiative, Mobile
Loaves & Fishes offers microenterprise opportunities to those who
have experienced homelessness; Community First! residents join
with volunteers from across Austin to work as farmers in the Genesis
Gardens, which feature three acres of organic vegetables, hundreds
of fruit and nut trees, honeybees, dairy goats, chickens, and other
animals, as well as a geodome and aquaponics system; in addition,
residents can develop their talents and earn income at the
Community Art House and Community Forge and Workshop, as well as
through participation in the Community Concessions and Catering
program; and
WHEREAS, While meeting urgent needs for food, clothing, and
shelter, Mobile Loaves & Fishes also assists clients in gaining a
firmer foothold as contributing members of society, and in so
doing, it has strengthened the entire community; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby honor Alan Graham and Mobile Loaves & Fishes for
their tremendous contributions to the Lone Star State and extend to
the organization sincere best wishes for continued success with its
important work; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mobile Loaves & Fishes as an expression of high regard
by the Texas House of Representatives.