September Local Love: Community First! Village + Mobile Loaves & Fishes

This month, our Local Love spotlight is staying close to home with an organization that has become an incredible part of the Austin community: Mobile Loaves & Fishes and Community First! Village.

If you’ve driven through East Austin, you may have heard of Community First! Village. Maybe you’ve seen photos of the tiny homes, attended a movie night or simply heard someone mention “that community for people coming out of homelessness.”

But Community First! Village is so much more than housing.

It’s a thoughtfully designed neighborhood built around something many of us probably take for granted: having a place to belong.

It Started With a Sandwich

Mobile Loaves & Fishes (MLF) was founded in Austin in 1998 as a Christian social outreach ministry with a mission to serve men and women experiencing homelessness.

What began as an effort to deliver meals from the back of a minivan eventually grew into a network of food trucks supported by thousands of volunteers. Today, MLF trucks go out into the Austin community seven nights a week, 365 days a year, providing food, clothing, hygiene products and other necessities to people living on the streets.

Over the years, those meals also created something just as important: relationships.

By spending time with their homeless neighbors, the team at Mobile Loaves & Fishes came to believe that homelessness isn't simply a lack of housing. Their work centers around the belief that a profound loss of family and community is at the heart of chronic homelessness.

And that realization eventually led to an entirely new idea.

From One RV to an Entire Neighborhood

The idea for Community First! Village began in 2004 with one gently used RV.

Mobile Loaves & Fishes purchased the RV to help one person move off the streets and into a permanent home. Over the following years, the organization helped more than 100 people move into RVs located throughout Austin-area communities.

But they began dreaming about something bigger: a place where affordable housing and genuine community could exist together.

That dream became Community First! Village, which welcomed its first residents in December 2015.

Today, Community First! Village is a master-planned neighborhood created specifically for men and women transitioning out of chronic homelessness.

As of June 2026, more than 500 people live in the Village, including more than 455 formerly homeless neighbors and nearly 50 “intentional neighbors”—people who choose to live within the Village and become part of the community while serving alongside their neighbors.

And it’s continuing to grow.

A Home—But Also a Community

One of the things that makes Community First! Village so interesting is that it doesn't look or operate like traditional housing.

The neighborhood includes a mix of micro-homes, park-model RVs and even 3D-printed homes. Homes are intentionally grouped around shared spaces such as outdoor kitchens, laundry facilities and other community buildings, creating natural opportunities for neighbors to interact and build relationships.

Residents also have access to a variety of services right within the Village, including primary healthcare, behavioral health support, addiction recovery resources, help navigating healthcare needs, fresh produce through community gardens and opportunities to earn income.

It’s an approach built around the idea that a home is more than four walls and a roof.

It’s stability. Connection. Purpose. Relationships. And knowing you have people around you who care whether you’re there tomorrow.

Creating Purpose Through Community Works

Another important part of Mobile Loaves & Fishes is its Community Works program.

The program gives neighbors who have experienced homelessness opportunities to rediscover their talents, learn new skills and earn a dignified income.

Opportunities include working in Genesis Gardens, creating and selling artwork through the Community Art House, and working at the Community Cinema, along with other micro-enterprise opportunities throughout the Village.

In 2025 alone, Village neighbors earned approximately $1 million in dignified income through Community Works and other micro-enterprise opportunities.

It’s another piece of what makes the Community First! model different: residents aren't simply given somewhere to live. They're given opportunities to participate, contribute, connect and build a life within their community.

And They're Just Getting Started

Community First! Village is currently undergoing a major expansion.

Two additional properties are being developed to add approximately 1,400 more homes for people coming out of chronic homelessness and those living alongside them in community.

Once fully developed, Community First! Village is expected to include roughly 1,900 homes along with neighborhood support buildings.

That means an idea that started with one person and one RV is growing into a community capable of welcoming home thousands of our Austin neighbors.

Even more impressive? The Community First! model has attracted attention well beyond Central Texas, with organizations across the country studying and adapting its approach to homelessness in their own communities.

How You Can Help

One of our favorite things about this monthly series is finding organizations where there are multiple ways to get involved—and Mobile Loaves & Fishes definitely gives our community plenty of options.

Volunteer. Individuals, families and groups can serve at Community First! Village through a variety of opportunities. In 2025 alone, volunteers contributed nearly 40,000 hours at the Village.

Serve with the Truck Ministry. Volunteers can help prepare and distribute meals and essential items to people experiencing homelessness throughout Austin.

Give. Donations help support Mobile Loaves & Fishes programs, Community First! Village and the continued expansion of the neighborhood.

Support Community Works. Purchasing art and other products created by Village neighbors helps support dignified-income opportunities.

Take a tour. Community First! Village offers public tours on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. It's a great way to see the Village firsthand and better understand the philosophy behind it.

Visit the Community Cinema. The Village hosts free outdoor movie nights that are open to the public. It's a fun, easy way to experience the community while supporting opportunities for Village neighbors. Their current calendar includes a free screening on September 4.

Local Love in Action

What began with delivering sandwiches from the back of a vehicle has grown into one of Austin's most recognizable approaches to addressing chronic homelessness.

But what stands out most about Community First! Village isn't necessarily the number of homes, acres or meals served.

It's the focus on community.

Mobile Loaves & Fishes has built its work around the belief that people need more than a roof over their heads. They need connection, purpose, dignity and a place where they know they belong.

And right here in Austin, they're putting that belief into action every single day.

We’re proud to feature Community First! Village and Mobile Loaves & Fishes as our September Local Love organization and to shine a little extra light on the work they're doing for our neighbors throughout Central Texas.

Want to learn more, volunteer, donate or visit Community First! Village? Visit Mobile Loaves & Fishes to see all the ways you can get involved.