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History
Loaves & Fishes was originally started by the following eleven churches, all of which are located near the downtown area
of Burlington, NC.
- Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church
- Davis Street United Methodist Church
- Ebenezer United Church of Christ
- Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter
- First Baptist Church (Apple Street)
- First Baptist Church of Burlington
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- First Christian United Church of Christ
- First Presbyterian Church
- First Reformed United Church of Christ
- Front Street United Methodist Church
- Macedonia Evangelical Lutheran Church
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At about the same time, Rich and Becky Gabrielli gave a substantial financial gift to Front Street United Methodist Church (UMC) and they wanted their gift to be used to help start Loaves & Fishes. It was then decided that a building owned by Front Street UMC at 346 West Front Street, located directly across Front Street from the church, would be used to house the food ministry. The condition of the building was such that major renovations were needed before the building could be used. The Gabrielli gift paid for much of the building renovation.
The building was dedicated on January 25, 1999. Pictured at the dedication are (left to right): Henry Johnson, Chairperson Loaves & Fishes Board, Brenda Ingle, Loaves & Fishes Executive Director, Ruth Spicer of Davis Street United Methodist Church, Dr. Richard Styles, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church (Apple Street), Dr. William Simpson, Senior Pastor of Front Street United Methodist Church, and Father Terry Pescatore of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church.
On November 9, 2003, the building was named The Gabrielli Building in recognition of the financial gift from the Gabrielli's that helped start Loaves & Fishes. Pictured at the naming ceremony are (left to right):
Rev. H. Sydney Huggins III, Senior Pastor of Front Street UMC, Charles Vitou, Chairperson of the Loaves & Fishes Board, Brenda Ingle, Loaves & Fishes Executive Director and Becky & Rich Gabrielli and one of their children.
In December of 2002, the Hayden-Harman Foundation, realizing that
Loaves & Fishes was outgrowing its Front Street facility, purchased for
the ministry the empty bank building and adjoining parking lot at 509
South Lexington Avenue, provided that the ministry would build a food distribution building.
With the financial support of the local community and the assistance of Herb Carmen and others at the architectural firm of Alley, Williams, Carmen & King, Inc., and Marshall Fuqua and others working with and for H. F. Mitchell Construction Co., the Food Distribution Center was designed and constructed and the bank building was renovated into the Administrative Office (both buildings pictured on left).
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