The 5 Loaves and 2 Fish Ministry began in Clymer in 2016, and was started by a women’s bible study that identified the need to help hungry children in the community. President of the ministry, Jen Heiser, said the group realized that children would get their breakfast and lunch at school but then on the weekends or times like spring break they would go without food.

While 5 Loaves and 2 Fish began in Clymer it soon expanded to Sherman and now serves multiple areas of Chautauqua County, including Clymer, Sherman, Bemus Point, Panama, the Hewes Center in Ashville, Maple Avenue Academy in Cassadaga, BOCES, and Randolph Academy Union Free School District. Altogether the ministry provides critical food support to over 600 school-aged children each week across these schools.

Each week, these children take home a bag of food to help sustain them through the weekend when school meals are unavailable, but without increased community support, this service is at risk of falling short, Heiser said.

“During the pandemic there was quite a bit of assistance for people to get the food that they needed, with provided funds, drives, etc,” Heiser said. “We haven’t seen an uptick in our volunteer numbers from 2020 to 2023, and with the current economy we are definitely seeing an increase in this need.”

Above and at right volunteers are pictured packing boxes in September for the 5 Loaves and 2 Fish Ministry.

Without additional donations than what they are already receiving, Heiser said it is possible that the ministry may not be able to begin the next school year with the required resources.

Unlike many programs, 5 Loaves & 2 Fish Ministry operates solely through the generosity of local individuals, businesses, and organizations to provide the 26,000 bags they pack each school year. Every penny raised stays in the community, directly funding meals for local children. The program receives no government funding and relies entirely on donations and volunteer support.

There are a few specific ways the community can help. People can donate food at any of the ministry’s distribution sites, which can be found on their website, 5and2ministry.com. Food can also be donated at any pack sites, which are currently in Clymer, Sherman, Panama and Bemus Point.

“People can donate one time, or sign up for a recurring donation,” Heiser said. “Recurring donations are critical for us. A $10 donation provides a weekend’s worth of food for a child. Recurring donations help sustain us.”

Another way people can help the ministry is by volunteering to help at one of the pack sites. Packing days are spread out throughout the month so people can pick the site they are closest to, or have the ability to volunteer at multiple locations throughout the month.

Above and at right volunteers are pictured packing boxes in September for the 5 Loaves and 2 Fish Ministry.

“Volunteers are the backbone of our work,” Heiser said. “From packing bags to organizing logistics, there’s a role for everyone who wants to help.”

One of the places that Heiser said is in the most need of help at the moment is the Sherman site. Sherman is the 5 Loaves and 2 Fish Ministry’s biggest consumer of bags, and the pack site there opened in the fall. While volunteers are needed for the Sherman pack site, Heiser said additional volunteers are needed in other areas as well, such as driving the food back and forth from the school.

The mission of the 5 Loaves and 2 Fish Ministry to prevent any child in the local area from going hungry is also something that is seen by the teachers in the schools, Heiser said.

“When we receive testimonies from the teachers we see the teachers are also very passionate about helping these kids,” Heiser said. “Teachers tell us that when kids get food on the weekends they see them do better in school with things like their homework or just paying attention. These are our kids in our community and they need our help.”

5 Loaves and 2 Fish Ministry is completely confidential and asks for no background information. If someone is in need of food, Heiser said they will get food. Most importantly, Heiser said the ministry is 100% volunteer based and every cent goes towards the children. The only costs the ministry has is for the bags and the food, and everything goes back to the kids.

Heiser added that while the ministry has a “tremendous” volunteer base of people who are very passionate about what they do, they are in need of more help.

“This is a need that will only grow,” Heiser said. “We’ve seen it time and time again. This is not a ministry that fills a need for a short time and then goes away. We need help with raising money and donations to have the long term ability to be able to continue to sustain ourselves.”

For more information, visit 5 Loaves and 2 Fish Ministry’s Facebook page or contact Jen Heiser, 5and2ministry@gmail.com.