E6: Fishes and Loaves: Nourishing Pittsburgh's Underserved Neighborhoods

What makes Tom Berna with Fishes and Loaves Cooperative Ministries a good neighbor?  

What does it take to feed a neighborhood? Tom Berna answers this question through action every single day as the leader of Fishes and Loaves Cooperative Ministries in Pittsburgh's Hazelwood district.

Tom's journey from retired chemical engineer to community food provider began in 2011 when, as a deacon in the Catholic Diocese, he responded to a simple request to establish a food ministry. What started as a neighborhood buying club has evolved into a comprehensive food support system that now includes emergency food boxes, meals on wheels, a free lunch program, and a monthly food pantry serving 20-30 families twice monthly.

The conversation reveals the fascinating operational details of a grassroots food ministry that runs entirely on private donations without government support. With just two part-time staff and 30 volunteers, Fishes and Loaves demonstrates how community-based solutions can effectively address food insecurity. Tom shares candid insights about the misconceptions surrounding food assistance—from the embarrassment some feel about asking for help to the occasional challenges of those who might take advantage of the system.

Perhaps most compelling is Tom's personal philosophy of perseverance, shaped by his military training through ROTC. "If I thought I couldn't do something, they showed me in fact I could, if I just pushed hard enough," he explains, a mindset that has helped him overcome obstacles throughout his life and in building this ministry. His message that "this is something that a group of neighbors could do anywhere" serves as both inspiration and practical advice for listeners looking to make a difference in their own communities.

Want to support Fishes and Loaves or learn how to start something similar in your neighborhood? Visit their website at fishes-and-loaves-hazelwood.org and discover how small actions can create meaningful change for those experiencing food insecurity.

To learn more about Fishes and Loaves Cooperative Ministries go to:
https://fishes-and-loaves-hazelwood.org/

Fishes and Loaves Cooperative Ministries
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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Lila Carter.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Are you in need of a foodministry?
One might be closer than youthink.
Today I have the pleasure ofintroducing your good neighbor,
Tom Berna, with Fishes andLoaves.
Cooperative Ministries, Tom,how's it going?

Speaker 3 (00:32):
Good Thanks, Lila.
It's a good day.
It's a good day in ourneighborhood.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
Oh, yes, excellent.
We're excited to learn allabout you and your business.
Tell us about your company.

Speaker 3 (00:44):
So Fishes and Loaves is a nonprofit, and it started
in 2011 to serve neighbors in anunderserved portion of
Pittsburgh.
The neighborhood's calledHazelwood.
Our mission is to bring healthyfood at reasonable prices to
our neighbors, so we started outas kind of a buying club before

(01:05):
Instacart came around, and wewould give people, ahead of time
, a list of food that they couldorder and the prices with it,
and then they could order it andwe would shop for them.
We've shopped twice a month, onthe first and third Saturday,
for about 20 to 30 families.
We got all the food togetherand then delivered it to them,

(01:26):
and they paid us for the food.
So over the years, though, theneed has changed a bit, and now
we also do emergency food boxesfor people, we do meals on
wheels, we offer a free lunchprogram and a monthly food
pantry.
We have two part-time peopleand about 30 volunteers.

(01:48):
So that's the long and theshort of it.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
Wow, that's amazing.
What an awesome cooperativeeffort there.
How did you get into thisbusiness?

Speaker 3 (01:57):
So I'm a deacon in the diocese here in the Catholic
Diocese of Pittsburgh, and sothe bishop said could you do
some food ministry in Hazelwoodand that's the neighborhood and
I said sure, and I'm a retiredchemical engineer, so I have
plenty of time on my hands.

Speaker 2 (02:17):
Excellent.
What are some myths ormisconceptions in your industry?

Speaker 3 (02:23):
Excellent.
What are some myths ormisconceptions in your industry?
You know, I think some peoplethink that we charge for the
food and we really don't, unlesswe buy it for you explicitly.
Some people will think thatsome people are kind of
embarrassed to ask for food.
And yet at the other extremethere are some people who are

(02:44):
you know, they'll game thesystem.
They'll say, okay, well, ifwe're offering a free lunch
program, they might takeeverything that's out on the
table for themselves.
But yeah, that's it.
And I guess another myth wouldbe that we get government
funding and in fact we don't.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
We rely on private foundations and private
donations so we know thatmarketing is the heart of your
business and it's superimportant that you're reaching
the right people to help them.
Uh, who are your targetcustomers and how do you attract
them?

Speaker 3 (03:17):
so mostly by word of mouth, but we also have our
website and we advertise in thelocal neighborhood paper.
We also have, I guess, aFacebook page, but in our
neighborhood not a lot of peoplehave computers.
They have phones but they maynot be able to do a search on

(03:37):
the internet or anything.
Some people do find us there,but often it's word of mouth.
You know, we deliver food toMrs Smith and she tells her
neighbor down the street, mrsJones, that if she needs food
she could get it from us.

Speaker 2 (03:51):
Right.
Word of mouth is certainly agood way to get the word out.
Have you ever thought aboutdoing your own podcast?

Speaker 3 (04:07):
um, no, and I'll say briefly because, um, I don't
have the, uh, the time I think.
You know, I know it takes quitea commitment to come up with
themes every day and subjects,and I listen to a couple
podcasts.
I'm studying spanish, that'sone podcast I listen to.
Oh, very cool.

Speaker 2 (04:19):
So outside of work.
What else do you do for fun?

Speaker 3 (04:22):
well, I go to the gym twice a week and I call that my
time.
I also enjoy fishing or hiking,maybe riding my bicycle a
little bit Good, all theoutdoors.

Speaker 2 (04:34):
Excellent, excellent, staying active.
So let's switch gears for asecond.
Can you describe a hardship ora life challenge you overcame
and how it made you stronger?
What comes to mind?

Speaker 3 (04:48):
You know, as an undergrad I went through ROTC
and I always said the militaryhas a way of pushing me past my
own perceived limits.
If I thought I couldn't dosomething, they showed me in
fact I could, if I just pushedhard enough.
And when I was in grad school Iremember really being at the

(05:08):
point of tears and wanting togive up.
You know my studies.
But I persevered through it andso now, when I encounter a
problem, I have a much morepositive attitude.
And my wife teases me.
She said you're always sayingwe're going to figure this out,
and she said, actually you do.
So I think that positiveattitude has grown from

(05:31):
overcoming some obstacles.

Speaker 2 (05:33):
Oh, what a beautiful level of support that she can
offer you too, and thank you foryour service, tom.
Absolutely absolutely so, Tom.
Please tell our listeners onething that they should remember
about Fishes and LoavesCooperative Ministries.

Speaker 3 (05:48):
Well, I guess one thing is that we're helping our
neighbors and we are a 501c3nonprofit, so we rely on
donations.
We do not get governmentsupport, and this is something
that a group of neighbors coulddo anywhere, and we've had
neighbors from other parts ofthe county come to us and say

(06:12):
how did you get started?
We think we'd like to dosomething like this.
I'm in the state ofPennsylvania, on the western
side, on the eastern side ofPhiladelphia, in fact, they
started a very similar programand they came to us initially
about it.
So I think one thing is if yousee a need for food or a need
for some service, put a fewfolks together and you'll

(06:35):
probably figure it out.

Speaker 2 (06:37):
Excellent.
I love that.
I love sharing the ideas andkind of spreading the good
energy.
You know, how can our listenerslearn more about Fishes and
Loaves?
Cooperative Ministries.

Speaker 3 (06:50):
I think the easiest thing is to go to our website,
and that's kind of a longwebsite but it's Fishes and
Loaves, hazelwood, and there's ahyphen between each of those
words org.
But if you look for Fishes andLoaves, I always remember F
comes before L Fishes and Loaves.

(07:10):
We're not Loaves and Fishes.

Speaker 2 (07:14):
Excellent.
Well, Tom, I really appreciateyour time today and having you
as a guest on our show.
We wish you and your businessthe best moving forward.

Speaker 3 (07:25):
Okay, thanks, bye-bye .

Speaker 1 (07:28):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to GNPPittsburghcom.
That's GNPPittsburghcom, orcall 412-561-9956.