Community First! Village grew from a revelatory thesis—housing alone will never solve homelessness, but community will.
This premise is held and cultivated by Mobile Loaves & Fishes staff, our formerly homeless neighbors from the street, and a special group of people living in the Village called Missionals.
Who Are Our Missionals?
Missionals are uniquely committed to the mission, vision, values and goals of Mobile Loaves & Fishes. They pay rent and all their expenses to live in Community First! Village, and volunteer their time to become part of the community. They are intentional neighbors. These pioneers have one thing in common—they are people of good will with a passion to serve our brothers and sisters who are transitioning out of chronic homelessness. Missionals comprise approximately 20% of the Community First! Village population.
When Mobile Loaves & Fishes’ (MLF) founder, Alan Graham, imagined the Missional role, he meant for it to be a guilt-free ministry. Here’s a chance for a family or single person to live in the world, and enter a life-giving dance in answer to the scriptural call to serve the city’s most vulnerable neighbors who have been pushed to the margins, coping with mental illness, struggling with substance abuse or navigating trauma.
