The Bread of Life Mission (BOLM) began as a direct response to Los Angeles’s homelessness crisis in 1990.  Soon after purchasing a large home in the Pico-Union neighborhood, BOLM welcomed people who had been living on the streets and formed a diverse, interdependent community. Guided by the adage “from each according to his or her ability, to each according to his or her need,” residents worked together—and with the broader neighborhood—to provide food, shelter, and clothing.

Today, BOLM continues to meet emerging needs in new ways. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we offered free tutoring to students who couldn’t attend school in person and provided critical financial support to families hit hard by the economic fallout but excluded from government aid. We are now focusing on the immigration crisis by exploring its root causes, including conditions in countries of origin. In partnership with a village in Guatemala, we created a “Casa de la Cultura” and are now learning how to strengthen local life and, over time, help build the economic and social resources that sustain a healthy, vibrant community.