• Advertise
  • Donate
  • Write
  • Intern
  • Events
  • About
  • Contact

The Austinot

Discover Austin Texas! An Austin blog with hundreds of unique articles.

  • Things To Do
    • Things To Do This Weekend
    • Things To Do This Week
    • Things To Do This Weekend With Kids
  • Discoveries
    • Austinot Loves
    • Activities
    • Day Trips
    • Local Business
  • Food & Drink
    • Food
    • Drink
  • Entertainment
    • Events
    • Film
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Theatre
  • Culture
    • Arts
    • History
    • Museums
  • Et Cetera
    • Non-Profits
    • Podcast
    • Archives

27 Acre Community First Village Ends Austin Homelessness

September 26, 2014 by David Thomas 17 Comments

Community First! Village Garden

The two acre garden at Community First Village helps the community supplement their food (Credit: Mobile Loaves and Fishes)

It costs taxpayers up to $5 million per year to house 250 homeless people through the City of Austin.

Alan Graham and his Mobile Loaves and Fishes team members are offering a private solution to relieve the city of that burden, while lifting Austin’s homeless population up by providing them a place to live, be proud of and restore their confidence.

Mobile Loaves and Fishes Is Fueled by Compassion

Sixteen years ago, a desire to help the homeless led Alan Graham to buy a catering truck. He began to feed and provide clothing to those in need.

His dedication became infectious and people started to volunteer. Mobile Loaves and Fishes has grown to 12 catering trucks and services roughly 1,000 people daily.

Community Relations Director Nate Schlueter told me how the project has impacted Austin, “Mobile Loaves and Fishes has not only benefited the homeless by providing food and clothing. It has also been a bonding experience between two communities that normally don’t interact.”

I don’t know about you, but my interactions with the homeless are generally limited to small donations taking place at random intersections, or food and clothing drives where the beneficiaries aren’t present. This detachment is non-existent for Mobile Loaves and Fishes volunteers. They interact with the people they’re helping. They speak with them, know their names and form bonds, bridging the cultural gap.

Expanding the Mission by Fighting Homelessness

Graham and his team didn’t stop with food and clothing. In 2004, they housed their first person in an RV. Schlueter provided me an interesting statistic on the housing topic, “Since we lifted our first person into an RV, we’ve been able to provide homes for a total of 110 people with an 87% percent retention rate.” The RVs are located at privately owned RV parks in the Austin area.

Mobile Loaves and Fishes RV

10 years ago, Mobile Loaves and Fishes housed their first person in an RV (Credit: Mobile Loaves and Fishes)

The Mobile Loaves and Fishes team wants to do more. Two years ago, they secured 27 acres south of the Travis County Expo Center on Hog Eye Rd. through private donations. There, they broke ground on Community First Village. The goal of this master planned community is to lift up to 250 homeless people off the streets, provide them shelter and give them an opportunity to revitalize their lives.

Community First Village Canvas Cottage

This canvas cottage is one of a variety of micro homes in the Community First Village (Credit: Mobile Loaves and Fishes)

The Village is similar to many communities in the Austin area. In fact, the community rules are familiar to anyone in a master planned community:

  • Residents must pay rent, ranging between $120-450/month
  • They must obey civil law.
  • All dogs must be leashed and the other end of the leash must be held by the pet’s owner.
  • Indoor furniture needs to stay indoors.
  • Keep the area clean.

Teaching Men to Fish at Community First Village

Planting the Community First Village garden

Community First Village proactively helps the homeless (Credit: Mobile Loaves and Fishes)

When I asked Schlueter about rent requirements, he discussed how residents can earn money to cover their rent. “We are providing residents an opportunity to take part in micro enterprise in which they keep the profit.” Some of these opportunities take place in a 5500 sq. ft. operations building being built by McCoy’s Buillding Supply. The building will house a 700 sq. ft. art studio and a workshop where residents can be creative. Part of the operations building will also house offices and a community maintenance shop. Residents will also have the opportunity to sell their wares at local festivals.

Any master planned community worth its salt has amenities. Community First Village is no different. Alamo Drafthouse will be donating equipment to set up an outdoor movie theater. There will be an onsite medical clinic, space for group meetings and there is a community garden already being cultivated. The garden serves a twofold purpose: subsidize food for residents, and build morale and cohesion.

Aerial view of the Community First! Village

The Village sits on 27 acres south of the Travis County Expo Center (Credit: Mobile Loaves and Fishes)

How You Can Help

The end goal is to have the Community First Village filled to 90-95% capacity within 18 months of this writing, but Mobile Loaves and Fishes needs our help. Currently, they’re running a capital campaign for the micro homes and can always use a helping hand from volunteers at the community site or with Mobile Loaves and Fishes’ day to day operations. Volunteer information and opportunities can be found on the the Mobile Loaves and Fishes website.

 

@ElDavidThomas asks:

What do you think of Community First Village?

Filed Under: Et Cetera, Non-Profits

Best of The Austinot

We always have unique content on The Austinot and we love to give things away. You know, like concert tickets, gift cards, and other cool stuff. We only send out our “Best of the Austinot” newsletter twice a month. It’s where we give you a recap of our best articles and give stuff away. Interested? Subscribe to Best of The Austinot here!

Subscribe
Login
Notify of
guest
guest
17 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Allen
Allen
8 years ago

What is the proposed capacity of the village?

0
Reply
Allen
Allen
8 years ago
Reply to  Allen

Sorry, read again – 250. Good work!

0
Reply
David
David
8 years ago
Reply to  Allen

Right, 250 is max capacity and the hope to be between 90 – 95% filled in 18 months.

0
Reply
Lucy Frost
Lucy Frost
8 years ago

What a wonderful, innovative idea!

1
Reply
Laurie Rice
Laurie Rice
8 years ago

Awesome, inspiring and so selflessly loving!
I personally have neither the proximity, time, nor funds to contribute.
However, I’ll certainly be spreading the word about this beautiful endeavor & praying for its success!
Blessings ten fold & more to all involved, and to those that can actively join this cause!

1
Reply
David
David
8 years ago
Reply to  Laurie Rice

Spreading the word is as important since it sheds light on the project. Thanks for sharing it with your friends.

1
Reply
Krazeehors
Krazeehors
8 years ago
Reply to  Laurie Rice

Amen!!!

0
Reply
Jennifer Denton
Jennifer Denton
8 years ago

Mobile Loaves & Fishes has an inspiring vision to put the 250 folks back on their feet. I went for a tour a couple of months ago, and was simply blown away by what they have already accomplished. I was once on the receiving end of a Mobile Loaves & Fishes food truck sandwich, many moons ago, for which I am ever grateful, and have been eager to give back any way I can. Thank you for sharing this story!

0
Reply
David
David
8 years ago
Reply to  Jennifer Denton

It’s a fantastic concept and I am glad the story got the attention it did. Mobile Loaves and Fishes are willing to take all kind of help. http://www.mlf.org has the details.

0
Reply
Krazeehors
Krazeehors
8 years ago
Reply to  David

Fannie Mae’s website says the homes are “for sale” at a cost of $20,000 each —

What??

0
Reply
Manticore
Manticore
6 years ago
Reply to  Krazeehors

The idea here is people can sponsor homes. They don’t own them but they can help pay for the cost of it’s construction.

Source: My friend is on the Community First staff and MLF

0
Reply
Krazeehors
Krazeehors
6 years ago
Reply to  Manticore

Good to know. Thanks. I am, however, somewhat concerned about the canvas “cottage” and the rental cost. Seems a bit much.

When I first saw this concept in the San Antonio Express News, they made it sound like the homes will be constructed by any other home, just much smaller.

0
Reply
Desi Roberts
Desi Roberts
7 years ago

How do you sign up for this program.
Does anyone know?

0
Reply
Brittany Highland
Brittany Highland
7 years ago
Reply to  Desi Roberts

@desiroberts:disqus, here’s more information on how to apply for a home: http://mlf.org/apply-for-a-home/.

0
Reply
Terry Edmonds
Terry Edmonds
7 years ago

My daughter and I could use a home. I wish we had something like this. Or anything for that matter. It’s a beautiful concept.

0
Reply
Brittany Highland
Brittany Highland
7 years ago
Reply to  Terry Edmonds

@terryedmonds:disqus, you can contact Mobile Loaves & Fishes about housing availability: http://mlf.org/apply-for-a-home/. All the best!

0
Reply

Connect with Us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Things to do

St Patrick's Day Austin

St Patrick’s Day Austin 2023 – Best pub crawls, events, parties, specials, & more!

Get ready to celebrate the luck of the Irish with St Patrick’s Day Austin 2023! If you are looking for ways to celebrate Austin St Patrick’s Day 2023 and find yourself searching online for “St Patricks Day Austin,” “St Patrick’s Day 2023 Austin,” or “St Patrick’s Day events Austin,” we got you covered! We’ve come […]

Things to do in Austin with kids this weekend of March 17 | Spring Fair

Top 10 things to do in Austin with kids this weekend of March 17, 2023 include Spring Fair, Broads by Broad Studios, and more!

If there’s one thing about this city, it’s that there is always something going on. So, if you’re looking for fun things to do in Austin with kids this weekend of March 17, 2023, there’s plenty of fun to be had, including Spring Fair, Broads by Broad Studios, 13th Annual Garden Party at The Butterfly Bar, and […]

Things to do in Austin this weekend of March 17 | Austin St. Patrick's Day Bar Crawl and Block Party

12 Fun things to do in Austin this weekend of March 17, 2023 include Austin St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl, Fur Will Fly Fest 2023, and More!

There are plenty of fun things to do in Austin this Weekend of March 17 which include Austin St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl, Fur Will Fly Fest 2023, Silent Sky at the Georgetown Palace Theatre, and more! Whether you’re planning a date or having fun with friends, these events and things to do in Austin this weekend […]

Things to do in Austin this week of March 13 | Pro Pickleball Association Tour: Austin Showdown

20 Fun Things to do in Austin this week of March 13, 2023 include Pro Pickleball Association Tour, Texas Burlesque Festival, and more!

Our top choices for things to do in Austin this Week of March 13, 2023, include Pro Pickleball Association Tour: Austin Showdown, Texas Burlesque Festival 2023, ATX Local Fest 2023, and more! Austin is now among the fastest-growing metroplexes in the US! Keeping up with the growth, luckily, there’s plenty going on in Austin all days of […]

Austin Valentine's Day 2023 - Best events, parties and celebrations near you

Austin Valentine’s Day 2023 – Best events, parties and celebrations near you

Every year, it gets harder to miss the cues of Cupid’s arrival when Valentine’s Day comes around the corner. The local eateries draw chalk hearts next to their Daily Specials, arrows start sticking out of engorged heart balloons and the internet starts getting populated with V-Day Event Diaries. How do you find reliable, vetted, and […]

Recent Posts

  • St Patrick’s Day Austin 2023 – Best pub crawls, events, parties, specials, & more!
  • Top 10 things to do in Austin with kids this weekend of March 17, 2023 include Spring Fair, Broads by Broad Studios, and more!
  • 12 Fun things to do in Austin this weekend of March 17, 2023 include Austin St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl, Fur Will Fly Fest 2023, and More!
  • Pi Day Austin 2023 – Verified deals, discounts on pizzas, pies near you!
  • 20 Fun Things to do in Austin this week of March 13, 2023 include Pro Pickleball Association Tour, Texas Burlesque Festival, and more!

Welcome to The Austinot

We are all about Austin: the vibe, the people and the uniqueness of the city. We love to explore. Get to know us! We’ll respond if you comment. Heck, we’ll probably invite you to come and hang out with us!

Follow along to help support and learn more about local businesses, artists, and events.

-The Austinot Team

Privacy Policy

Trending Posts

  • Top 10 things to do in Austin with kids this weekend of March 17, 2023 include Spring Fair, Broads by Broad Studios, and more!
  • St Patrick’s Day Austin 2023 – Best pub crawls, events, parties, specials, & more!
  • 8 Indoor Activities to Enjoy When Austin Weather Forces You Inside
  • Best Austin Sports Bar – Top 10 Bars near Downtown, 6th Street and more!
  • 6 Austin Fish and Chips Plates You Won’t Regret Ordering

Copyright © 2023 · Log in

wpDiscuz