St. Stephen & the Incarnation
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We are an open and growing Episcopal congregation with roots in the movement for more inclusiveness. Our great diversity of backgrounds, lifestyles and callings is a resource from which we draw our strength.
Worship is at the center of our life as a community of faith. We gather each week to worship God, whom we believe is revealed to us as our Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit. We believe that God's greatest act toward us was one of love - sending his son Jesus to Earth to live among us. In his life, Jesus set an example of how we should live and treat each other. Jesus gave himself as a sacrifice to God and died on the cross so that we, God's beloved children, would not suffer the consequences of our inherently sinful nature - death. Jesus' rising back to life three days after his death showed us that death does not have the last word, and God offers every one of us the gift of everlasting life through the sacrifice of Jesus. Every week in our worship we remember the life and death of Jesus in the Eucharist (communion), when we share bread and wine around the altar. In our worship, we are renewed and reminded of our calling as God's people so that we can go back out into the world sharing the love that God first shared with us.
Worship times
Volunteer opportunities
Loaves and Fishes began as an outgrowth of St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church’s practice in the mid-1960s of providing meals after Sunday services. When hungry non-church-goers began to appear in considerable numbers, the congregation launched a meals ministry and named the program Loaves and Fishes after the miracle described in the gospels. As Loaves and Fishes grew, other churches stepped in to help. We are now sustained by a partnership with several other churches, many of them in the suburbs, and diverse foundations, community groups, and individuals.
Our mission and goals are two-fold: to feed people who are hungry in our community and to educate volunteers and community members about hunger and homelessness. We are proud to serve a warm, healthy lunch to all who come to us without regard to their age, race, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, religious affiliation, or lack of it.
The need for free meals is particularly acute on weekends when most free meal programs in Washington are closed. For people who are low-income and unhoused, finding the next meal is a seven-day-a-week challenge. Our guest surveys show that most guests appreciate not only the food, which is generally rated as high-quality, but also the welcoming, calm surroundings, an opportunity to be off the streets for a while and perhaps have a game of spades or checkers while waiting for the meal.
Volunteers are the cornerstone of our program. We are happy to accept both one-time and regular volunteers and have a need most weekends and federal holidays.
- SERVERS: work from 8 am to 12 pm each day we are open on Saturdays, Sundays and federal holidays, setting up and cleaning the dining room and kitchen, and serving each seated guest. This opportunity for individuals and groups is available to both one-time and returning volunteers.
- KITCHEN VOLUNTEERS: work from 8 am to 12 pm, cooking and plating food and assisting in the dining room. Generally, kitchen staff are groups of returning volunteers who commit to cooking one day each month.
TO VOLUNTEER: If you are interested in volunteering as an individual or a group, please sign up below to confirm your attendance for one of our available volunteer slots within 48 hours of the scheduled weekend or holiday. If you have a group of 10 or more that is interested in volunteering and/or sponsoring a meal, please contact our Volunteer Services team at (202) 596-5147 or by email at volunteer@loavesandfishesdc.org .
ADDITIONAL DETAILS:
- Children who are accompanied by a parent are welcomed.
- If any students are looking to complete SSL hours, they must stay for the entire shift.
- Volunteers must wear closed-toe shoes for safety purposes. Additionally, we prefer if volunteers have a sleeved t-shirt (no tank tops).
- Hair nets, gloves and aprons are provided. If you would prefer not to wear a hairnet, your hair must be covered completely somehow.
- Please feel free to bring your own water.
Ministries
Loaves and Fishes
NEED A HOT MEAL? You are welcome at Loaves and Fishes for lunch at noon every Saturday and Sunday at 1525 Newton St NW (lower level of St. Stephen & the Incarnation Episcopal Church). We also provide lunch on federal holidays.
Our program relies on support from individuals, communities, organizations, and foundations. Please support our mission by clinking on the Donate button on the menu bar above. Your gift, large or small, will ensure we are here to feed people who are hungry. You can learn more about support for Loaves and Fishes from our website http://loavesandfishesdc.org/.
Sacred Ground Race Dialogue Circles
Sacred Ground is dialogue series on race, grounded in faith. Small groups are invited to walk through chapters of America’s history of race, racism, and whiteness while weaving in threads of family story, economic class, and political and regional identity. The 10-part series is built around a powerful online curriculum of documentary films and readings that focus on Indigenous, Black, Latino, and Asian/Pacific American histories as they intersect with European American histories.
Sacred Ground is a resource coming out of Becoming Beloved Community, The Episcopal Church’s long-term commitment to racial healing, reconciliation, and justice in our personal lives, our ministries, and our society. This series is especially designed to help white people talk with other white people, while being open to all racial/ethnic groups. Participants are invited to peel away the layers that have contributed to the challenges and divides of the present day – all while grounded in our call to faith, hope and love.
1525 Newton St NW
Washington, DC 20010-3103
United States
