The WellSky® Foundation Grants $100,000 to Mobile Loaves & Fishes to Address Chronic Homelessness
The Austin, Texas-based organization gains additional resources to help expand its nationally recognized Community First! Village to remove social barriers to long-term health and wellness
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — September 6, 2022 — The WellSky Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to removing socioeconomic barriers to health and improving quality of life for vulnerable populations, announced it has donated $100,000 to Mobile Loaves & Fishes (MLF), a social outreach ministry working to mitigate homelessness in Austin, Texas. The WellSky Foundation and Mobile Loaves & Fishes first partnered together in February 2020, making this the WellSky Foundation’s first repeat grant recipient.
This donation will go towards Mobile Loaves & Fishes’ expansion of Community First! Village, a 51-acre master-planned community that provides affordable, permanent housing and a supportive community for men and women who are coming out of chronic homelessness. Currently, more than 325 formerly homeless neighbors live in the Village, with volunteers dedicating nearly 14,000 hours of service in 2021 to help advance the community’s mission.
“With this generous gift from the WellSky Foundation, we can continue lifting our homeless neighbors up off the streets and into a permanent home where they can rediscover purpose and connect with the incredible community we are building,” said Tracee Henneke, Director of Relationships & Giving at Mobile Loaves & Fishes. “Expanding Community First! Village is about so much more than building houses; it’s about providing community and resources our neighbors need to heal from the trauma they experienced from their time living on the streets.”
MLF is passionate about enabling Community First! Village neighbors to attain a path of long-term success through micro-enterprise programs. Last year, more than $1.2 million was earned by men and women living in the Village through Mobile Loaves & Fishes’ Community Works program, which enables their formerly homeless neighbors to apply their God-given talents to earn a dignified income while developing new skills and building enduring relationships.
“When we started the WellSky Foundation, we were passionate about finding like-minded organizations we could partner with to achieve a meaningful, long-term impact – Mobile Loaves & Fishes has inarguably become that partner for us,” shared Andrea Morgan, executive director of the WellSky Foundation. “Watching Mobile Loaves & Fishes continue their mission to solve chronic homelessness within their community has been nothing short of inspiring – it is easy to see why their revolutionary model has gained national recognition. We are proud to assist in their efforts and look forward to seeing their continued success.”
Since its inception in 2019, the WellSky Foundation has donated to more than 20 organizations that are removing socioeconomic barriers to long-term health and wellness. To learn more about the WellSky Foundation, visit WellSkyFoundation.org.
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Emma Mulvaney
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About the Mobile Loaves & Fishes
Founded in 1998, Mobile Loaves & Fishes (MLF) is a social outreach ministry that empowers communities into a lifestyle of service with the homeless. MLF’s innovative Community First! Village is the country’s largest master planned development designed specifically for men and women coming out of chronic homelessness, and has become a national model replicated by other organizations in different cities. With the support of tens of thousands of volunteers and more than 6 million meals served through its Truck Ministry, MLF has also grown to become the largest prepared feeding program to the homeless in Central Texas and has spawned similar food truck programs across the country. For more information, please visit www.mlf.org.
About the WellSky® Foundation
The WellSky Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to improving quality of life for vulnerable populations by removing social barriers to health, recovery, and lasting wellness. The WellSky Foundation is an engine for change, financially supporting organizations that enable care and healing for people, regardless of their socioeconomic status. With a deep understanding of the social determinants of health, the WellSky Foundation partners with community organizations that are boldly addressing the top four socioeconomic factors affecting long-term wellness — housing, food insecurity, transportation, and isolation. The WellSky Foundation is committed to funding and supporting organizations that protect the people and communities they serve and create better outcomes for people in need. Together with our community partners, the WellSky Foundation is breaking down social barriers to health and wellness to build thriving communities. To learn more about the WellSky Foundation, visit WellSkyFoundation.org.
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