Our Giving Community
Our Giving Community Positively Naperville, May 2020 “I’ve been fortunate to have witnessed our giving community at work. Your stepping up to support the many families in need is simply amazing. Thank you so much.”-Mike Havala, CEO, President of Loaves & Fishes Read more: Our Giving Community, by Mike Havala, Positively Naperville, May 2020
Loaves & Fishes: Extraordinary Times
Who could have known even a few weeks ago what extraordinary times we would be facing? The simplest of gatherings are a fond memory now as we “shelter in place.” Only the most essential of errands are approved. One of those approved errands is to the grocery store where the lines found most people’s carts… Read more »
Healthy Food and Summer Needs
Healthy Food and Summer Needs “Our goal is to provide people with the same quantity and quality of healthy food that others have access to.” – Loaves & Fishes CEO Mike Havala, as featured in Positively Naperville Read more→
Looking Back, Looking Forward – Loaves & Fishes Turns 35
Looking Back, Looking Forward – Loaves & Fishes Turns 35 By Mike Havala, President & CEO, Loaves & Fishes Community Services Published in Positively Naperville, January 2019 Our CEO Mike Havala reflects on Loaves & Fishes Community Services 35th Anniversary and having a significant and lasting impact on the future. This is a fairly common time… Read more »
Naperville Chef Showdown 2018
It’s more than a showdown…it’s a Chef Showdown! Our Inaugural Chef Showdown was a success due to the generosity and valued participation of our sponsors, partners, Executive Chefs, Sous Chefs and honored guest judges! Photo Gallery Below Chef Eddie from Catch 35 & Chef Danny from Hugo’s Frog Bar & Fish House competed in Loaves & Fishes’ inaugural Naperville… Read more »
A Year in Review
Mike Havala takes a look back at his first year as CEO and President of Loaves & Fishes Community Services. “I have been able to spend a lot more time with so many incredible people both in our community and organization. This support, as demonstrated by our volunteers, donors, partners and many others, is absolutely… Read more »
Labor of Love
When Loaves & Fishes moved into our current building back in 2011, more and more groups of adults wanted to volunteer. There were parents who wanted to bring their children along, and L&F wasn’t equipped to handle young people. My husband Jim and I organized our first event in 2013 after our grandchildren asked what… Read more »
Largest Food Drive In Our History
The power of community was on display during the 25th Annual Letter Carriers’ Food Drive on May 13, always organized on the second Saturday in May. According to news from Loaves & Fishes Community Services, 81 individuals worked a total of 349 hours in one day to gather non-perishable donations placed near residential mailboxes. Letter carriers… Read more »
Bright Future Stories
A few years ago, a well-known talk show host invited people to step out of the audience and onto the stage to share their stories. “Everyone has a story,” she said. The most compelling ones were those that revealed remarkable triumph over challenge. In talking about those trying times, they each described a person or… Read more »
Cuisine For A Cause Auction
Event planners are promoting the 14th Annual Cuisine for a Cause as “The VERY last Cuisine for a Cause.” Considered one of Naperville’s largest cocktail parties, the benefit for Loaves & Fishes Community Services, including CARES Programs, is slated for 6:30 to 10:30PM on Sat., April 29, again in the atrium at Navistar. The fun, lively evening… Read more »