On a recent night, residents at the city’s Sue’s Espacio shelter for those experiencing homelessness received a warm welcome and a delicious hot meal prepared by volunteers with Loaves and Fishes, a dedicated grassroots group.

The volunteers provided a hearty dinner of stew, mac and cheese and salad, plus plenty of treats and to-go snacks, a city release explained. 

Through their generosity, nearly 40 residents received a home-cooked meal, with volunteers taking great care to share a smile and friendly greeting as they served dinner also making sure that no one went hungry that night.

The release explained that they took extra steps to serve the nine children staying at the shelter with their families, offering treats, art supplies and books. No matter their age, whether a toddler in a stroller or an older resident using a walker, the residents were surrounded by care and compassion, the release detailed.

This night marked a new partnership between Loaves and Fishes and the city to provide a meal at the city-owned shelter. For the volunteers, it was also a different way to be of service after decades of providing meals in a city park. 

“We’re churchgoers who feel this is an important part of our lives,” Patt Mitchell, who along with her husband Gary organized the meal at the shelter, stated in the release. “We feel it is important to share what we have been given.”

The night served as an important reminder that the city’s investments in housing and resources and commitment to community partnerships change lives every day, according to Community Health and Human Services Director Tim Burch.

“Sue’s Espacio provides a safe haven for individuals and families while they work with case managers to secure more permanent housing and connect to resources such employment through our Tempe Works program,” Burch stated in the release. “In the past two years, our HOPE team has been able to safely shelter nearly 950 people between our Sue’s Espacio and partner shelters.”

Opportunities for community partnership come in all sizes, but each one is impactful, said Councilmember Doreen Garlid, who made the initial connection with the Mitchells to serve at Sue’s Espacio.

“All of the Loaves and Fishes volunteers put their hearts into creating a beautiful night of fellowship and service that was incredibly uplifting,” Garlid stated in the release. “I’m so appreciative of this partnership and the support for our residents at Sue’s Espacio as they plan for a brighter future.”

Longtime volunteer Benny Jetson was pleased to have provided meals for the 40 people staying at the shelter, according to the release. Residents ate in their rooms and he missed the “communal feeling” of sharing a meal all together. He’s hopeful that missing piece can be part of any future meal service. 

As the Loaves and Fishes volunteers dished out dinner, shelter resident Keith was thinking beyond the meal in hand, the release detailed.

Job loss caused Keith to lose his apartment and live on the streets for several weeks. He connected with I-HELP, a nonprofit shelter partner operated by Tempe Community Action Agency, and then moved into Sue’s Espacio. 

Now employed through Tempe Works as a driver for the city’s Solid Waste division, he is hoping to further his education and pursue full-time employment. He is also approved for a housing voucher to subsidize his rent and is moving into his own apartment.  

Appreciative of the hot meal, he is eager to be in his own kitchen again making from-scratch soups, meat and potato dishes and banana pancakes. For more on Tempe’s homelessness solutions, visit www.tempe.gov/government/human-services/housing-services/ending-homelessness.