The 1970's

Bread for the City and Zacchaeus Free Clinic were founded in the mid-1970s out of faith-based concerns for the homeless, the hungry and the poor of Washington, DC.  Zacchaeus was an outgrowth of the Community for Creative Non-Violence (CCNV), at that time a group of activist ministries working to ensure that every DC resident had access to food, shelter, clothing, and medical care.  Bread for the City was a joint project of the "Emmaus Fellowship,” five neighboring churches (First Baptist, Foundry United Methodist, Luther Place Memorial, Metropolitan A.M.E., and National City Christian) responding to the Biblical injunction to feed the hungry and clothe the naked.

Concerned that many DC residents lacked access to health care, CCNV, with support from George Washington University's Newman Center, organized a free medical clinic in 1974.  Faced with a legal requirement that a physician take responsibility for opening a medical facility, CCNV enlisted Dr. Jack Bresette to assume this role.  When Zacchaeus Free Clinic opened its doors in 1974, the clinic operated in cramped basement quarters.  It offered merely three examine rooms, a tiny lab and pharmacy, and a $30,000 budget.

The mission of Zacchaus Free Clinic (ZFC) was to provide quality healthcare to the uninsured in an atmosphere of dignity and respect.  Each patient was assigned to a patient advocate who met with the doctor to ensure that his or her comprehensive needs were met. Doctors (all volunteers) were addressed by first name, and white coats were prohibited. 

However, the clinic’s goals were far greater than its service offerings.  ZFC began envisioning a comprehensive system of supportive services all under one roof.  Further, ZFC planned one day to provide these services to residents east of the Anacostia River, where the needs of the poor were grossly under met.  Ultimately, ZFC split from CCNV and organized as a separate 501(c)(3).  

In 1976, Bread for the City began operations in the same neighborhood, also on property provided rent- free by Luther Place Church.  The mission of Bread for the City was to provide wholesome food and quality used clothing to Washington’s poor.  Volunteers also operated the program until the hire of a full-time director in 1977.

History and Growth - Main

History and Growth - 80's & 90's

History and Growth - 00's to Present