Mobile Loaves & Fishes is Hiring and Gifts for Father's Day!

MLF is hiring! Be a part of the Goodness happening at Mobile Loaves & Fishes. Current job opportunities include: Maintenance Technician, Community Groundskeeping Manager, Property Management Technical Administrator, Faith Partnership Steward, Facilities Manager, Construction & Maintenance Assistant, Community Inn Coordinator, Home Prep Coordinator, Neighbor Engagement Specialist, Help Desk Support Technician and Staff Accountant. Learn more about our many open positions and apply here: mlf.org/careers

Also, if you’re looking for some awesome gifts for Father’s Day, check out the beautiful items in the Community Market.

Better Late Than Never - The 2022 Housing First Partners Conference

I’m so pleased to announce that the Housing First Partners Conference (HFPC) in Seattle will take place this year on April 11-14, 2022, “in person”!  This conference was originally scheduled for  April of 2020, and we all know what happened in early 2020.  The HFPC is a dynamic three-day conference that will feature workshops, plenaries, interviews and inspiring presentations from providers, researchers, policy makers, filmmakers and those with lived experience, all of whom are passionately engaged in ending homelessness.  And, the cool thing is that Community First, A Home for the Homeless will be one of three films presented at the conference. Our documentary will be shown on Wednesday, April 13, 2022 at 7:00. I am so very honored that our film was selected and invited to screen at HFPC.  There will be a Q & A with the filmmakers following the films (although I was invited to attend, I decided to do my Q & A virtually).

Three Years Since Our World Premiere at 2019 SXSW Film Festival!

As we come up on the three years since our World Premiere at SXSW in March of 2019, I would like to reflect a bit on what has transpired. First, I would like to thank all of you who have followed us and supported us, especially those who have been with us from the beginning when we started this quest in 2017. After working for over a year and a half to complete our film, we were very fortunate to be accepted into the SXSW Film Festival to start our journey.  We followed that with several other film festivals.  Then I was thrilled to be one of 35 films selected by the American Film Showcase.  On the heels of that, we were invited to be one of the 30 films included to go on the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers.  As I returned home from this tour of six cities across four states (Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana) in February of 2020, the U.S. was shut down by Covid 19.  This put a hold on several homeless conferences where we were scheduled to present the documentary.  Like many other conferences, we were relegated to the new “virtual” world and Zoom.  A bit of a disappointment but the new reality. Then, in May of 2020, we reached a three year licensing deal with PBS - which had always been my dream venue!  In February of 2021, our PBS broadcast debut began all across the country.  Currently, our film has aired in over 90% of the 330 PBS markets across the United States and Puerto Rico!  All the while, we have been selling educational licenses to schools, libraries, and homeless advocacy groups; as well as, selling Blu-rays, digital rentals, and online streaming to the general public.

For these past three years, I have been fielding lots of email and phone inquiries from all over the world from people wanting to know more about Austin’s innovative and successful Community First! Village.  Considering that the sole purpose for making this documentary was to try and help introduce this amazing blueprint for transforming the lives of our homeless neighbors, it warms my heart that we have had this kind of widespread interest.  Thanks to all of you who have helped us tell this story or who have been instrumental in starting your own version of Community First! Village of which there are several that I know of.  I am so happy and thankful that Community First! Village has continued to add houses, amenities, and services to our homeless and previously homeless neighbors here in Austin.  I'm also encouraged by the plethora of other communities who are diligently working towards these same goals.

We’re Going Global! Now Available on Films For Change in Australia & New Zealand.

Starting on December 10, 2021, Community First, A Home for the Homeless will be available on Films for Change, a SVOD (Streaming Video on Demand) service based in Australia and New Zealand.  Films for Change shares powerful and illuminating documentaries via their streaming site, shining a light on stories of independent filmmakers, and creating positive change through education. Currently, we have conveyed streaming rights for the Australian and New Zealand markets only.  Another really cool venue and market for introducing Community First! Village!



"Community First, A Home for the Homeless" on KLRU: Monday, November 15

I’m thrilled to announce that KLRU will broadcast Community First, A Home for the Homeless on Monday, November 15th at 9:00 pm. I’m so happy that they have scheduled the film to air during this particular week, because it is National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week. This will be the third time this year that KLRU has broadcast the film. Thanks KLRU!

Community First, A Home for the Homeless at Northwestern State University of Louisiana

Northwestern State University of Louisiana will screen Community First, A Home for the Homeless at their campus on November 9 at 6:30pm as part of their Voices of Diversity Series.  Dr. Ruth Weinzettle, Department Head and Professor of the Department of Social Work, had seen the film in Alexandria, LA, during the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers last year and wanted to bring it her campus. They have also purchased the educational license to the film making it available to their students for years to come.

See the Film and Help Our Livable Solutions!

Community First, A Home for the Homeless will be featured in a virtual screening/fundraiser starting October 15 and running through October 29. This is a fundraiser for Our Livable Solutions in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Our Livable Solutions “(OLS) aims to end homelessness through creative initiatives developed in partnership with people currently experiencing homelessness. Starting with micro homes, their dream is to build a community near Kingston, Ontario, Canada where people can find their passions and thrive. OLS appreciates the dedication and perseverance of the organizers of Community First! Village and sees their community as a model we should all aspire to build.” See the film and help with this deserving cause!

More PBS Broadcasts & A Cool Conference!

Community First, A Home for the Homeless will be airing tonight, September 21 in Prime Time at 9:00pm Central Time on KAWB, KAWE (Lakeland PBS) in Minneapolis.

It will also air in San Francisco on September 26 at 7:00pm Pacific Time on KRCB (Northern California Public Media), and again on September 27 at 12:00 noon Pacific Time.

 And, in Indianapolis on September 26 at 3:00pm Eastern Time on WFYI. 

But wait, that’s not all, and in Spokane, on September 30 at 7:00pm Pacific Time on KWSU (Northwest Public Broadcasting).

I’m also thrilled to announce that we will be presenting Community First, A Home for the Homeless at the 2021 Southern Conference on Homelessness & Housing in Miramar, FL on October 6-8. Originally, it was intended to be an exclusively “in person” conference, and I would have been attending and presenting.  However, due to Covid, it is now a “hybrid” conference, i.e. it will be “in person” and virtual.  I will now be presenting via Zoom.  Our session will take place at 11:00 on Thursday, October 7. The virtual aspect will hopefully make it available to more attendees.

Despite the fact that our country has been unable to shake the Covid curse, things at Community First! Village are slowly regaining some level of normalcy.  The Community Cinema has begun screening films again, and the Village is welcoming volunteers back.  Construction has never really stopped on Phase II, and it is really shaping up beautifully!


PBS Broadcast in NorCal on Sunday, August 1 at 8:00pm!

This Sunday, August 1 at 8:00pm, Community First, A Home for the Homeless will air on KPKJ (Northern California Public Media). This is a great prime time broadcast in a very important area!

As a reminder, there is a Virtual Screening/Fundraiser event for the Community Build Project featuring Community First, A Home for the Homeless currently taking place in Port Townsend, WA, this week through August 2. Their first major project was Peter’s Place which is a “temporary tiny house village in Port Hadlock, WA. The village, built in Partnership with Bayside Housing & Services and with the Community United Methodist Church, temporarily houses twelve residents.” The Community Build Project is really doing some great things in the Port Townsend area!